Senator Portantino Reacts to Governor’s Budget Proposal

Senator Anthony J. Portantino, Chair of Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education, issued the following statement:

“I was pleased to see that the Governor’s proposed budget reflects our State’s continued commitment to K–12 and Higher Education. The Governor’s 2017–2018 budget proposes an increased investment of $1.5 billion in K–12 education and a total funding of $14.6 billion for Higher Education. I endorse the Governor’s call for accountability in our higher education systems, and as the Chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee on Education, I look forward to playing a role in helping to implement those measures. Further, I am glad to see that the Governor did not support the proposed tuition increases of the University of California and the California State University and that he is committed to making sure that our students have access to high quality and affordable public education. There is much work to be done to create a guaranteed affordable path to higher education for our students and families and I’m looking forward to working collaboratively to make it happen. I hope the UC and CSU leadership are listening and on the same page.”