Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, made the following statement today about Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2019-20 state budget, which includes an historic $81 billion investment in K-12 education, $1.4 billion to fund free community college and millions more for emergency readiness, response and recovery:
“Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget demonstrates he shares the commitment to be fiscally prudent while investing in critical needs, such as wildfire prevention and education,” Sen. Dodd said. “I believe Gov. Newsom’s budget proposal is a solid first step that reflects our common values and priorities. I have been calling for universal preschool for years, and this proposal would help ensure access to preschool for all 4-year-olds. I look forward to working with him and legislative leaders in the months ahead to build upon the proposal. We must continue supporting communities recovering from the 2017 wildfires.”
The $209 billion budget represents a 4 percent increase over last year. Highlights include:
- Providing universal full-day, full-year preschool for all income-eligible 4-year-olds, phased in over three years
- Increased funding to provide full-day kindergarten
- Two years of free community college tuition
- The more than doubling of the California Earned Income Tax Credit, which Sen. Dodd helped create several years ago by investing $1 billion in a new “Working Families Tax Credit” – reaching an additional 400,000 families.
- $13.6 billion to pay down debts and build reserves – including growing the state’s $13.5 billion Rainy Day Fund to more than $19 billion by 2022-23 and paying down $3 billion in CalPERS and CalSTRS pension liability
- Upgrades to the state’s 911 system, $200 million to augment Cal Fire’s firefighting capabilities, building on the $200 million for forest management approved in Sen. Dodd’s SB 901, and continuing $25 million in mutual aid prepositioning that Sen. Dodd secured in 2018.
Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. More information on Senator Bill Dodd can be found at www.senate.ca.gov/dodd.