Pasadena Advocate Praises California Budget Deal, Urges More Action

Shimica Gaskins, a Pasadena-based advocate for ending child poverty, has praised California’s new budget agreement while calling for further action to support vulnerable families.

Gaskins, President and CEO of GRACE & End Child Poverty California (ECPCA), commended the 2024-25 state budget deal announced by Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders for preserving crucial anti-poverty programs despite a significant deficit.

“This budget walks the walk to put our values first, making difficult choices that prioritize the most vulnerable Californians,” Gaskins said in a statement released from GRACE’s Pasadena headquarters.

The agreement maintains funding for programs supporting Californians experiencing poverty, including cash grants, child care, food assistance, and health care services.

Gaskins noted that these programs disproportionately benefit Black, Brown, immigrant, and Indigenous communities, who are often hit hardest by rising costs of basic needs.

She highlighted key provisions of the budget, including protected core cash grants in CalWORKs and SSI/SSP programs, support for healthy school meals, and implementation of the new federal Summer EBT program for food assistance.

The Pasadena advocate emphasized the budget’s role in preventing “permanent and irreversible harm to children living in poverty” and setting a new standard for protecting the safety net during deficits.

However, Gaskins also pointed out disappointing elements in the agreement. These include delaying the expansion of the Food For All program for older adults regardless of immigration status until 2027 and missing an opportunity to pursue federal CalWORKs pilots with family-centered changes.

Gaskins urged further action to make California’s revenue system more equitable, calling on wealthy corporations to pay their fair share.

While acknowledging the budget’s constraints due to limited resources, Gaskins stressed its importance in preserving progress and preventing devastating cuts to anti-poverty initiatives.

As the leader of GRACE & ECPCA, Pasadena-based organizations dedicated to ending child poverty in California, Gaskins pledged to continue working with stakeholders to build upon the budget’s actions.

Her goal, she stated, remains creating a California where every child is valued and free from poverty.