State Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove spoke out regarding the recently passed 2020-2021 state budget proposal, which has already received criticism from other Republican leaders across the state.
SB 74, a pseudo budget passed to ensure that Democratic legislators will not lose out on their salary, is filled to the brim with terrible accounting practices and doesn’t prioritize what Californians value and need most. Its contents include:
- $22 million to enforce AB 5, a bill passed last year that decimated the freelance job industry by forcing more people out of work.
- $5 million to buy a new state park despite quarantine mandates preventing many from enjoying the outdoors.
- $2.9 billion to continue the high-speed rail project, an absolute dumpster fire of project delays and budget deficits.
- $9 billion in new taxes on businesses, while many are struggling to stay afloat due to COVID-19 closures
- $6.5 million to sue the federal government, which provides funding for the state.
“The state is facing a government-induced recession with more than 4.8 million unemployed Californians and a budget deficit of $54 billion. Despite this economic crisis, the Democrats’ backroom budget deal has prioritized pet projects and includes a $9 billion tax increase on our job creators,” said Senator Grove. “Today’s incomplete and poorly prioritized budget is the result of last-minute discussions that lacked public transparency. Californians deserve better.”
It’s saddening to see the general unwillingness of Democrats to make adjustments to their budget—especially when they’re demanding such extreme sacrifices from hard-working Californians. However, we can remain grateful that there are leaders like Senator Shannon Grove, who is willing to criticize this injustice and demand a budget that works for Californians.
