Skip to content
Catalyst California logo. Click to return to home page
Support

Governor Newsom's Revised 2024-25 Budget Must Prioritize Equity; Not Exacerbate Disparities Despite Economic Downturn

05.11.24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Press Contact:  
Ronald Simms Jr, Associate Director of Communications  
(202)-270-0936 or rsimms@catalystcalifornia.org 

LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom released his revision of the 2024-2025 budget as the state faces a $27.6 Billion deficit, the second in a row after three years of record surpluses. In response, Catalyst California’s President and CEO, John Kim, delivered the following statement:  

“In times of economic trouble, California’s leaders have been quick to cut programs that would ensure communities of color to thrive. It doesn’t have to be this way. Our choices have led us here, but we as a state can make different decisions so that residents have access to quality education, affordable housing, safer communities, and more needed to thrive.  

“We appreciate the governor’s commitment to sustaining equitable investments in expanding racially-just, relationship-centered community schools and his commitment to increase child care provider wages to address the true cost of child-care. We cannot overlook the critical importance of early childhood education in shaping the trajectory of our children's lives. We also applaud the governor for reducing the scope of the criminal legal system by closing prisons and housing units. Proposing to shut down 46 units across 13 prisons will produce ongoing savings of $80 million annually. Such actions will go a long way toward creating a system of care that drives true safety, not criminalizes communities of color. 
 
“However, the governor’s budget makes devastating cuts that will also have tremendous impacts on our most vulnerable residents. To support children’s healthy growth and development, the governor must include multi-year, continuous Medi-Cal coverage for children ages zero to five and fully invest in mental health services that support children and families. Additionally, the governor’s budget revision includes a massive reduction in funding for the Adult Reentry Grant, which provides competitive funds to community-based organizations to deliver reentry services to assist formerly incarcerated individuals reentering communities. Programs like these are crucial to ensuring safe, prosperous communities across the state. Finally, while the governor proposes addressing school facilities investments for state preschool, TK, and kindergarten through the education facilities bond, we need his strong leadership to realize that goal as well as addressing the other school facilities cuts in the budget. 

“California’s leaders must be committed not to cuts, but to investments in the future of our communities. We have seen how this has played out before during the Great Recession. To prevent a repeat of 2008, state leaders need to cease inequitable cuts to services and programs, and instead double down on investments, increase revenues, and ensure ballot measures that will causes more harm, like the Taxpayer Protection and Accountability Act, better known as the Taxpayer Deception Act, are defeated.” 

Our policy experts are available for comment:  

 

### 

 

Catalyst California advocates for racial justice by building power and transforming public systems. We partner with communities of color, conduct innovative research, develop policies for actionable change, and shift money and power back into our communities.