SACRAMENTO, Calif --- Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) released the following statement on the Governor’s state budget proposal:
“Today, Governor Gavin Newsom released a historic budget proposal that will benefit Californians statewide and locally. This serves as a building block to last year’s priorities and sets the tone for responsive and innovative investments to build a strong California in which we stand together to close gaps of inequity.
I applaud the Governor’s comprehensive approach in investments toward education, healthcare, transportation, and public safety. As it relates to a letter that I sent to the Governor alongside a number of my colleagues in the Legislature, this budget iteration also proposes direct funding for a Goods Movement Workforce Training facility in Southern California, critical Port infrastructure, and additional dollars for operational and process improvements at our Ports.
Despite the transformative changes which the Governor wants to set in motion this year, what was absent from this budget is direct support for the Health Equity and Racial Justice Fund, which I championed by way of AB-1038 throughout 2021 and now. Last year, the Governor committed upwards of $300 million for public health, which was to include funding for community-based organizations in support of health equity and racial justice projects. However, proposed funding this year aims to bolster our public health infrastructure and to increase our testing, vaccination, outreach, and education efforts. While I understand and remain greatly appreciative of these investments, more focus needs to be on what is most needed to support communities of color, low-income communities, LGBTQ+ people, and other historically excluded people who experience worse health outcomes and shorter life spans.
Among my colleagues in the Legislature, I look forward to ongoing discussions that will ensure that funding set forth in this year’s budget captures all of which our most vulnerable communities need most.”