Our state budget is a statement of our values. UWCA is deeply appreciative to see so many of our shared values reflected in our Governor’s first budget proposal for 2019-2020. Governor Newsom’s proposed budget provides a robust starting point for the legislature and advocates alike to engage based on a thoughtful assessment of the fiscal landscape to ensure California truly can be a Golden State for all residents.  

We applaud the Governor’s bold proposal to expand the California Earned Income Tax Credit and strengthen its impact in fighting poverty, in particular for families with children. We know that one in three families in California struggles to meet basic living costs, according to our Real Cost Measure study, Struggling to Stay Afloat. The CalEITC and the federal EITC are the most effective tools we have to fight poverty, help working families and individuals move up the economic ladder, and reward and promote work. We look forward to working with the Governor and legislature about opportunities to further strengthen the impact of the CalEITC, such as ensuring immigrant tax filers and their families also have access to this valuable credit. And we look forward to partnering closely with this administration and the legislature to end poverty in California, especially among children.

We are delighted to see the Governor also advanced $1.8 billion in one-time funding devoted to efforts to expand access to childcare services and kindergarten for low-income families, as well as efforts to train childcare workers and expand local childcare facilities—especially in areas with relatively low access to childcare. The Governor’s proposal uses a smart, two-pronged approach, seeking to address both childcare spaces and access, while supporting and growing the qualified workforce that nurtures and educates our youngest Californians. United Ways of California enthusiastically applauds this emphasis on supporting our kids during their earliest years of development. Investments in childcare, early childhood education, nutrition, healthcare services, and preventive support systems are proven to have critical impacts on the well-being of children, paying lifelong dividends, and strengthen families, communities and our economy as well. We look forward to working with this administration and legislature to ensure all children have access to early childhood development and education. 

California has been a national leader in expanding affordable health care coverage and access to quality care, and the Governor’s budget proposal takes vital steps to further ensure the well-being of our diverse population. We strongly support the expansion of Medi-Cal to include all undocumented young adults up to age 26 as well as the introduction of additional affordability measures, such as greater subsidies through Covered California and a large-scale single-purchaser system for prescription drugs. It is through such bold action and innovative reforms that we will build a truly equitable health care delivery and services system.  

UWCA is committed to passing a budget that protects and empowers our children, our families, our communities, and our future.

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