State Budget Includes Local Investments in Santa Clara County!
This month, the California Legislature formally approved an operating budget that will represent our state’s spending plan for the new fiscal year.
The budget totals $267.1 billion; $196.1 from the state’s General Fund, with total General Fund reserves at a record of $25.3 billion. Proposition 98 spending is also at a record $96.1 billion.
With California’s largest reserves in history, we passed a budget that will tackle the most pressing economic and societal challenges facing our state today. This includes record funding to address homelessness, combat our wildfire and drought crisis, provide relief to our small business and families, and support our early care and public education system.
And I’m proud to announce that the State budget also includes local budget requests I made for our community right here in Santa Clara County:
• Highway 17 Wildlife and Trail Crossings Project: The Legislature approved my request to fund the Highway 17 Wildlife and Trail Crossings Project to create a secure crossing for trail users to experience the beauty of our natural scenery and terrain while, at the same time, facilitating the safe movement of our wildlife in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Highway 17 Crossings Project will improve highway safety by alleviating driver-animal collisions in an important wildlife corridor documented as a road-kill hotspot, increase genetic viability for deer and other species that migrate, and connect wildlife access to over 30,000 acres of watershed and protected public open space lands currently bisected by Highway 17. The project will close gaps in the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the Juan Batista de Anza National Historic Trail, as well as link local trails, together connecting over 50 miles of existing trail.
• Litter Abatement in Santa Clara County: I was also able to secure $2 million to assist local jurisdictions with the removal of trash and debris from local streets and along state highways in Santa Clara County. Trash accumulation and littering is a mounting concern in our community that has placed an unfair burden on our residents. This is an issue I have gotten to know well during my time as a City Councilmember and County Supervisor, including the cross-agency collaboration that is necessary for alleviation. Under this proposal, the Santa Clara County Consumer & Environmental Protection Agency (CEPA), in collaboration with the County’s 15 cities, would identify and prioritize beautification areas and litter abatement opportunities in Santa Clara County. Priority would be given to hotspots along freeway interchanges and Caltrans right of ways. Additionally, funds may be used to address hotspots that pose a safety concern in neighborhoods. By expanding an existing program, this funding can swiftly and effectively address litter and debris hotspots across all neighborhoods in Santa Clara County that need abatement or pose safety concerns
• VTA Recovery Efforts: Lastly, as I announced last week, my $20 million budget proposal alongside Assemblymember Ash Kalra was approved and will assist VTA and VTA workers in addressing their immediate needs. Funds can go toward facility improvements including repairs, reconfiguring and relocation where necessary, as well as safety upgrades to ensure full light rail and bus services and to prevent future total light rail or bus system shutdowns. Funds can also go toward supporting traumatized workers who lost colleagues through grief counseling, staff support and training considering that some employees may want to be retrained and relocated. These funds will provide relief to employees that are struggling and help get essential transit services running again as soon as possible.
I’d like to thank my colleagues for approving these requests and for recognizing how targeted investments such as this can improve the lives of so many.
More of my local budget requests are working their way through both the Senate and Assembly, and I will be sure to keep you informed on their progress.
Learn more about my recently approved budget proposals through local news coverage:
NBC Bay Area: Legislature OKs $2M for Wildlife Corridor, Trail Crossing in Santa Cruz Mountains
CBS Bay Area: State Budget Includes $2 Million For Litter Abatement In Santa Clara County
The Mercury News: State to give VTA $20 million for mass shooting recovery
ABC 7: Santa Clara VTA to receive $20M in recovery funding as light rail service remains halted
On Thursday July 29th at 6:00pm, I will be honoring Senate District 15’s Nonprofit of the Year – Empower & Excel!
I have selected Empower & Excel as the Senate District 15 Nonprofit of the Year for the great work they are doing in our local community driven by a worthy mission to empower youth to give back to their community through local volunteer initiatives.
Our youth deserve access to local opportunities that allow them to serve the greater good. Since 2015, Empower & Excel has given back to our community through over 70,000 hours of volunteer service conducted here in Santa Clara County and by providing an avenue for our next generation of leaders to reach their full potential in every sector of our society.
Register for the event at www.tinyurl.com/SD15nonprofit and we will see you there!
This is the sixth year of the California Nonprofit of the Year initiative, and with nonprofits doing more than ever to help their communities weather this COVID-19 crisis, their work should rightfully be celebrated.
The event will be live-streamed and made available for later viewing through my Facebook page at facebook.com/davecortesegov and my website at https://sd15.senate.ca.gov. Closed captioning options will be made available through the livestream on my Facebook page and website.
Read my latest column in Santa Clara County Medical Association’s quarterly Bulletin Magazine about my bill, SB 37 - The Hazardous Waste Site Cleanup and Safety Act - which would increase oversight of toxic sites in California and safeguard our environmental health. Read the column at this link.
Medi-Cal beneficiaries can receive up to $50 a month to help cover their internet costs during COVID-19. All Medi-Cal beneficiaries qualify, and it will not affect their health coverage. Funding is limited, so apply today: https://www.getemergencybroadband.org/
One of my budget requests for this fiscal year was increasing funding for the Mental Health Student Services Act grant program to create school and county mental health partnerships across California similar to the successful model we championed here in our county: School-Linked Services. I’m pleased to announce that the Legislature’s State Budget includes an augmentation of $205 million for this Mental Health Student Services Act program to support the mental health and emotional needs of children and youth as they return to schools and everyday life! Thank you to my colleagues who also made student mental health a priority.
Thank you to the local high school students who visited the Capitol this month to ask State Legislators to support our bill, AB 1171, to end California’s archaic spousal rape exception. These are the voices that are truly necessary in our fight to end sexual assault and harassment of all forms.
AB 1171, of which I am a co-author, will eliminate the “spousal rape exception” in the California Penal Code (Section 262) and thereby expand the definition of rape to include the rape of a spouse to ensure that “spousal rape” is treated and punished as seriously as rape of a non-spouse. Rape is rape, regardless of the relationship between the rapist and a victim. The idea that marital rape should be punished less severely is absurd and this legal loophole can’t continue to be ignored.
This bill passed the State Assembly by 65-0 and is working its way through the State Senate. Learn more about how you can support this important bill at this link.
Wildfire season is upon us and it’s important to be prepared. With historic high temperatures and increasingly dry conditions, the fire risk is high across the state. Wildfire has become an unfortunate reality for our state but there are steps you can take to prepare your home and your family for wildfire.
In case you missed it, me Office hosted an Emergency Preparedness Training that you can watch on my website at this link. Highlighted during the training was how creating defensible space and hardening your home are the primary preventative measures you can take to protect your home from wildfire.
For more tips and information on wildfire preparation and to sign up for local alerts by zip code, visit: readyforwildfire.org.
Here are some safe and fun opportunities to get out and explore our local community!
• Gilroy Garlic Festival: This year’s Gilroy Garlic Festival will be a mix of in-person and virtual festivities, including food, golf, and drive-thru events, on the weekends of July 23-25 and July 30-August 1. Learn more and register at this link.
• Virtual Yoga for Adults in July: This series is hosted by the Santa Clara County Library District and no yoga experience is necessary! Learn more and register at this link.
• Santa Clara County Fair: This year’s County fair will be held from July 30-August 7 and will showcase youth and adult competitive exhibits in a self-guided virtual tour. Learn more and register at this link.
Video Gallery
In the Video Gallery posted on my website you can find recordings of my recent Town Halls, interviews, news conferences, video compilations, bill hearings, and more. Missed a recent SD 15 event or want to learn more about my budget and legislative priorities? Check out my Video Gallery at this link!
State Resources Posted on My Website
State resources and services available during the pandemic have been posted on my new website: sd15.sen.ca.gov. Just click on the "COVID-19" link under the “Resources” tab of my website to get connected to some of the most frequently used state resources, including resources for businesses and employers, students, those in need of housing and financial assistance, and more.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or concerns. I can be reached at senator.cortese@sen.ca.gov.
Thank you,
Dave Cortese
