California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) submitted his first budget to the state legislature Jan. 10 and Sen. Anthony Portantino (D) liked what he saw.
“Today’s budget shows that our state is in a positive position for the long-term while investing an additional $4.8 billion in our Rainy-Day Fund — bringing its total to $15 billion,” said the senator.
He highlighted the $1.4 billion marked for higher education and $40 million for a second free year of community college tuition contained in the package. Noting that his 25th Senate district is home to public schools, community colleges, and four-year universities, Portantino remarked that, “California is ensuring a long term investment in higher education for all students at any level.”
In releasing the spending blueprint, Newsome said “this budget lays a strong financial foundation for our state by eliminating debts, expanding the rainy-day fund and paying down our unfunded liabilities.”