SENATOR DAVE CORTESE’S NEWS STATEMENT ON BUDGET PASSED BY STATE SENATE & ASSEMBLY

SACRAMENTO - The California Senate and Assembly today passed the 2025 state budget balancing agreement reached by the leaders of both houses. The budget now goes to the Governor. Senator Dave Cortese is pleased the budget is moving forward.

“While 2025 has undeniably been a tough budget year, the legislative budget agreement reflects progress in defending our state’s values, protecting safety net services and preserving key programs Californians rely on,” said Senator Dave Cortese. “I’m especially relieved that the Legislature successfully rejected cuts to In-Home Support Services (IHSS) and Prop 56, restored $500 million to the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (HHAP), and delayed Medi-Cal premium increases until 2027. We protected local health care access and reversed some of the most harmful proposals targeting our vulnerable residents, though I remain deeply concerned about the freeze on new Medi-Cal enrollments for undocumented adults. These are communities already under attack, and I’ll keep fighting to restore this funding.”

“I applaud the elimination of all proposed cuts to UC and CSU, because keeping higher education accessible and affordable is critical to our future economy and well-being.”

“The budget ensures continued investments in transportation and climate resiliency.”

“The Legislature is standing firm behind its promise to improve wildfire preparedness and access to insurance – investments like transitioning CAL FIRE to a year-round staffing model will ensure all of the state’s engine companies are available 365 days a year.”

­Click here for all the information on what is included in the approved budget:

legislature-s-version-of-the-budget-summary-sb-101.pdf

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