SACRAMENTO- The state Legislature on Sunday approved California’s $108 billion FY 2014-15 budget. Senate Bill No. 852 passed 55-24 in the Assembly and 25-11 in the Senate. View the legislation here.
Assemblymember Steve Fox (D-Palmdale) made the following statement regarding the passage of California’s fourth consecutive on-time, balanced budget.
“Legislators have continued to prioritize education, access to justice, job creation and veterans while taking steps to reduce our state’s debt,” said Fox. “We are managing our economic recovery realistically and conservatively.”
Fox continued to say, “the Antelope Valley is still pulling itself out of the recession. The job creation elements found in the FY 2014-2015 Budget are particularly welcome. These include $1.2 billion for job-generating infrastructure projects, including $142 million for improvements in local streets and roads.”
This year’s budget includes investments from FY 2013-2014 funding levels for the following:
- An additional $5.6 billion investment for K-12 education. In May, the state had projected that $4.7 billion would be available for local control funding formula, however, higher revenue allowed legislators to increase allocations to schools by 10 percent in the final budget. Schools also will receive $6 billion to reduce previously deferred payments to school districts.
- Families with young children will benefit from an additional allocation of $100 million for child care programs for low-income working parents.
- An additional $300 million in allocations for community colleges, potentially will allow colleges to hire more full-time instructors and increase the number of class offerings.
- This budget includes increased investment court funding to help our state’s justice system better serve everyone – not just those who can easily afford it. The budget reinforces California’s commitment to ensuring access to justice by increasing investments in courts by $223 million.
- California is reaffirming its commitment to military members with a $3 million investment in veterans’ benefits which should lead to an additional $47 million in federal funds. Veterans also will benefit from $100 million for affordable housing for military families.
More information is available at www.asmdc.org/fox.
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Bob S. says
Nothing to crow about FOX! When you raise the corporate tax to the point where you drive business out of Ca. you can balance anything. Lancaster’s fool-mayor can learn from that as we see business going to Palmdale.
The Anti-REX says
I worked my as# off to pay my own child care expenses why is it that I must pay for someone else’s child. Take responsibility for your own actions.
Yakkity yak says
I agree 100%! Responsibility is a concept foreign to most people these days. Sad but true.