Cervantes Statement on the Passage of the State Budget

(SACRAMENTO) – The following is a statement by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), Vice-Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, regarding the Legislature’s vote today approving the 2022-2023 state budget agreement between Governor Gavin Newsom, the State Assembly, and State Senate:

“The state budget that the Legislature has approved is not only fiscally responsible but makes historic investments in communities across California. To support our state’s recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this budget increases annual technical assistance funding for our small businesses to $23 million and provides $9.5 billion in tax refunds to millions of California’s working families. Thanks to this budget, more than 23 million Californians will receive direct payments of up to $1,050. We are also planning for future rainy days by adding more than $23.3 billion to our state’s fiscal reserves.

“In addition to investing in TK-12 education, I am also proud to have helped secure record-breaking investments in our public institutions of higher education. This includes $249 million over three years for infrastructure improvements at the University of California, Riverside, and the University of California, Merced, as well as landmark Cal Grant reform that will provide state financial aid assistance to an additional 150,000 college students, including women students and student-parents.

“I want to thank my friend Assemblymember Jose Medina for his critical leadership on both of these issues affecting our college students, and for his leadership towards securing a vital investment of $25 million for the City of Riverside’s Cesar Chavez Community Center, to ensure that our children have access to quality facilities that provide arts and cultural enrichment, as well as recreational opportunities.

“I also want to thank Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senate President Pro Tem Toni G. Atkins, and Governor Newsom for working with me to secure the following investments for the Inland Empire:

• $33 million for the Riverside Community College District to acquire property for the future site of the Inland Empire Technical Trade Center (IETTC) in the City of Jurupa Valley
• $30 million for infrastructure improvements for Citrus State Park in the City of Riverside, in conjunction with former City of Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge
• $25 million to the City of Riverside for the Cesar Chavez Community Center Renovations, in conjunction with Assemblymember Jose Medina
• $2 million to continue the renovation of Griffin Park in the City of Corona
• $2 million for the Riverside Community College District to further expand their Military Articulation Platform (MAP) project to provide our student veterans with community college credit for their prior military training and experience, in conjunction with the California Latino Legislative Caucus and Senator Richard D. Roth
• $1 million for the creation of an independent citizens redistricting commission for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors upon the enactment of Assembly Bill 1307 (Cervantes)
• $200,000 for the City of Corona to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan to reduce the risk of wildfires in our region

“Riverside County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state of California, and yet 54 percent of our region’s workforce is neither formally trained nor skilled. As Chair of the Assembly Jobs Committee, I am thrilled we were able to allocate $33 million for The Inland Empire Technical Trade Center (IETTC), which will serve as a pillar for our region’s transformation into a prosperous, diverse economy, where our K-12 students participate in quality career tech programs that seamlessly connect to aligned career development pathways, all supported by our community colleges, local workforce development boards, and other institutions of higher education.

“As Vice-Chair of the Latino Caucus, I am proud to have secured $1 million for the implementation of my Assembly Bill 1307 to create an independent citizens redistricting commission to draw district boundaries for Riverside County beginning in 2030. This investment brings us one step closer to ensuring that members of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors cannot draw their own district boundaries for their own benefit and instead places that power where it rightfully belongs—with the people. This is a big win for protecting the voting rights of our Latino community in Riverside County, and for democracy in our region!

“This state budget also includes the following investments in communities across California:

• $2 billion to expand student housing at our public institutions of higher learning
• $1.3 billion in retention stipends for healthcare workers most affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
• $700 million to help local governments address encampments of people experiencing homelessness and help transition them to permanent housing
• $200 million for programs to protect abortion rights and reproductive freedom in California
• $120 million to expand the California Competes tax credit to help small businesses move to or stay in California
• $25 million to expand the California College Promise program, which provides two years of free community college, to all full-time students who do not yet have a degree or certificate

“As our state’s fourth largest county, the Inland Empire represents the future of California. The investments in this state budget are a manifestation of the fact that our rapidly growing region is not only finally getting its fair share from Sacramento, but is taking its rightful place as a recognized destination for high-quality jobs, technological innovation, and quality of life.”

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Sabrina Cervantes is a mother of triplets who proudly represents the 60th District of the California State Assembly, which encompasses the cities of Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Riverside, and the unincorporated communities of Coronita, El Cerrito, and Home Gardens. Cervantes is Vice-Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus and serves as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy.