San Mateo Daily Journal
By Austin Walsh
A state budget tentatively adopted with a historic surplus and record levels of money to distribute received laudatory reviews from local lawmakers who admired California’s continued ability to invest in essential programs coming out of an unprecedented health crisis.
A spending plan was approved Monday, June 15, which preserved paychecks to lawmakers who will spend the following weeks further deliberating terms of a final budget due by June 30, the end of the state’s fiscal year...
State Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, shared his support for the investment paving the way for eased access to higher education and also allowing expansion of transitional kindergarten and early education programs. Noting that negotiations will continue over the coming weeks regarding the spending proposal for child care programs, Becker said he will be focused on assuring the funding is preserved for a comprehensive early education initiative.
“Transitional kindergarten alone is promising, but we need to pair it with a massive expansion of child care,” he said. Additionally, Becker said he will keep an eye to the amount of money directed from the record surplus to reserves. Because of the unprecedented influx of funds, he questioned whether it is reasonable to assume that this degree of income generation is sustainable.