Senator Janet Nguyen has issued the following statement in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s “May Revise” Budget Proposal:
“As Governor Brown delivers his updated plans for California’s spending, I commend him for prioritizing homeless and mental health assistance. In particular, I am pleased with the Governor’s commitment of $359 million to assist counties in dealing with homelessness and $312 million for mental health programs. As someone who believes that hard working Californians should keep more of their hard earned dollars, I also support the Governor’s proposal to expand the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit to help working senior citizens and young people entering the workforce. As more Californians struggle to make ends meet, the expansion of this tax credit will not only help families put food on the table but will also help create a more thriving economy. On the educational front, I was also pleased that the CSU and UC systems will receive an extra $100 million for deferred maintenance. These improvements will create a safer and better learning environment for our students. Although I am marginally pleased with the Governor’s proposal, it is a wait and see game to the finish line in June when the final budget is approved. Oftentimes, late in the process, the majority party inserts wasteful funding for projects that cannot be sustained. This is a practice that is counterproductive to a sound budget. For my part, I will continue to keep a watchful eye on the State’s spending to ensure that funds are used as intended. Additionally, I will fight hard against tax increases. This year, the state secured a huge surplus from taxes that were already in place prior to the new gas and car taxes, proving that higher taxes are not needed to resolve issues of importance to Californians. Californians do not need new taxes, they need legislators willing to budget and spend within their means.”
