California Budget

State Budget Threatens Market Match, Endangering Low-Income Food Access

By Shreya VermaJune 7, 20260 comments

Food access advocates have formally urged California state leaders to preserve funding for the California Market Match program. This initiative, which has facilitated fresh food acquisition for low-income families and provided support to small farmers for the past decade, faces potential termination. The call for preservation follows the release of initial budget proposals from both the California Senate and Assembly, neither of which include provisions for the program’s renewal or expansion.

Assembly Budget Plan Funds 988 Mobile Crisis Teams, Averting Expiration

By Ria BaggaJune 4, 20260 comments

The California State Assembly has released a 2026-27 budget proposal allocating $125 million from the 988 State Suicide and Behavioral Health Crisis Services Fund to support mobile crisis teams dispatched via 988 call centers, a measure advocates assert is crucial for preserving statewide behavioral health services.

Durazo Calls for Reversal of Proposed Medi-Cal Cuts for Undocumented Californians

By Remy SwartzMay 20, 20260 comments

State Senator María Elena Durazo has urged California lawmakers to reverse proposed reductions in health care coverage for undocumented immigrants following the release of the revised 2026-27 state budget. According to a press release from Durazo, the May Revision maintains an existing Medi-Cal enrollment freeze and proposes an increase in monthly premiums for enrolled undocumented adults from $30 to $50. Additionally, the budget revision includes provisions to limit full-scope Medi-Cal coverage for specific immigrant populations, including refugees and asylees, effective July 1, 2027.

Newsom Defends Balanced Budget as Counties Warn of Cuts to Homelessness, Health and Family Services

By David GreenwaldMay 15, 20260 comments

California Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a revised 2026-27 budget proposal, which the administration asserts eliminates the state’s structural deficit through 2028 while preserving major investments in healthcare, education, housing, and homelessness programs, despite county leaders’ warnings that the plan compromises local governments’ capacity to sustain critical safety net services.

Newsom Administration Disputes Law Enforcement Claims of Prop 36 Underfunding

By David GreenwaldMay 15, 20260 comments

Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration has rebutted criticism from the California District Attorneys Association, State Sheriffs’ Association, and Chief Probation Officers of California, which alleged inadequate funding for voter-approved Proposition 36. The administration asserted that substantial state resources had already been committed toward implementation, despite the measure containing no dedicated funding mechanism.