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Newsom Outlines Proposed State Budget With Medi-Cal Expansion, $45.7 Billion Surplus

Newsom’s budget proposal received plaudits from the Bay Area’s state legislators, who argued that it positions the state well to combat immediate issues while also investing in broader support for the state’s economy and environment.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom announces the state’s new plan of action against the rising omicron variant cases at Native American Health Center in Oakland on Dec. 22, 2021. Harika Maddala/ Bay City News photo.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announces the state’s new plan of action against the rising omicron variant cases at Native American Health Center in Oakland on Dec. 22, 2021. Harika Maddala/ Bay City News photo.

By Eli Walsh | Bay City News Foundation

Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his proposed 2022-2023 state budget Monday, including a proposal to extend health care coverage to every low-income resident in the state.

The proposal would expand access to Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid, to all residents who meet the program’s income eligibility threshold, which varies depending on household size, regardless of immigration status.

Medi-Cal is already available to adults age 50 and up and people under age 26. Newsom’s budget proposal estimates it will cost roughly $2.7 billion annually once the expansion is fully implemented by 2024.

Overall, Newsom proposed a total budget of some $286.4 billion, with a $213.1 billion general fund, with funding focused on combating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and its effects, homelessness, the state’s cost of living and public safety.

The total proposal is roughly 9% higher than the 2021-2022 budget, Newsom said Monday during a briefing on the budget.

“The budget is not a reflection of me, but it is a reflection of what I believe are our values as a state,” he said.

The budget includes a $45.7 billion surplus, but only roughly $20 billion will be usable for discretionary spending as the state has obligations to reserve a certain amount of its budget to education funding and pension liabilities.

Newsom noted that he expects both the budget’s overall and surplus amounts to change during negotiations with the state Legislature this spring and by the time he issues his revised proposal in May, when the state will have more clarity on its total tax revenue.

At that time, the state will also have more clarity on whether its surplus will be large enough to send out stimulus checks as it has during the current fiscal year.

“My sense is … there likely will be substantial contributions back to the taxpayers,” Newsom said. “What form they come in, we’ll work with the Legislature, and to what degree in terms of total amounts of dollars will be determined in May.”

State Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson called on Newsom to avoid a “reckless spending spree” with the surplus, arguing that his policies are driving people to move out of the state.

“Democrats should take the budget surplus accrued from aggressively over-taxing Californians and work with Republicans to make wise investments that will restore the Golden State to a place where people come because of opportunity, not one they are rushing to leave,” she said.

The budget proposal includes some $2.7 billion to support increased COVID-19 vaccination and testing and bolster the state’s health care workforce. The funding would be split across the two upcoming fiscal years, with $1.3 billion for the 2022-2023 fiscal year and $1.4 billion for 2023-2024.

To combat climate change, the budget includes some $1.2 billion for wildfire prevention efforts, $648 million to bolster Cal Fire’s workforce and equipment and $750 million in funding for immediate drought response.

Newsom’s proposal also includes roughly $2 billion for homelessness services, mental health support and to clear encampments, which the governor called “unacceptable” and “inhumane.”

The homelessness funding builds on the $12 billion the state allocated in the 2021-2022 fiscal year budget.

The proposal also includes a slew of grants and tax credits both to support the construction of housing units across the state and to support small businesses that have struggled to remain open throughout the pandemic.

Newsom’s budget proposal received plaudits from the Bay Area’s state legislators, who argued that it positions the state well to combat immediate issues while also investing in broader support for the state’s economy and environment.

“With this budget proposal, California can invest in essential services like schools while addressing significant challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic, wildfires and the climate crisis,” said state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa. “We can walk and chew gum at the same time.”

Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, both argued that the proposed budget aligns with the Senate’s goal of utilizing California’s wealth to make the state more equitable for middle- and low-income families.

“I look forward to reviewing the governor’s plan and working with Pro Tem Atkins, legislative colleagues and the administration to create a 2022-23 budget that further moves toward an equitable economy for all,” said Skinner, the chair of the Senate’s Budget Committee.

The full proposed budget can be found at https://www.ebudget.ca.gov/FullBudgetSummary.pdf.

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Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

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EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.”

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By Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
46th President of the United States: 2021—2025

The people of Galveston, Texas, have been commemorating Juneteenth since the Civil War ended. Yesterday, in honor of the 160th anniversary, I went there to join them.

You can read about the events of Juneteenth, but there’s nothing quite like going to Galveston and seeing where it all happened.

After General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Union troops marched across the South for two months, freeing enslaved people along the way. Their final stop was Galveston, an island off the Gulf coast of Texas. There, on June 19, 1865, Union troops went to Reedy Chapel, a church founded in 1848 by enslaved people, and posted a document titled simply “General Order #3.”

“The people of Texas are informed,” it said, “that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

We can only imagine the joy that spread through Galveston – and across the state and nation – on that day and those that followed.

Yesterday, there was once again joy in Galveston, with a parade, picnic, and fireworks. There was also great solemnity, because Juneteenth is a sacred day – a day of weight and power.

The Book of Psalms tells us: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and the promise of that joyful morning to come.

As President, I had the great honor of signing the law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was our nation’s first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was created in 1983.

Our federal holidays say a lot about who we are as a nation. We have holidays celebrating our independence… the laborers who build this nation… the servicemembers who served and died in its defense.

And now, we also have a national holiday dedicated to the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

Signing that law was one of my proudest acts as President.

Yet for 156 years, Juneteenth was not written about in textbooks or taught in classrooms. Still today, there are those who say it does not deserve a holiday. They don’t want to remember the moral stain of slavery and the terrible harm it did to our country.

I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.

I also believe that it’s not enough to commemorate the past. We must also embrace the obligation we have to the future. As Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.” And right now, we Americans need to keep the faith and do the work.

In honor of Juneteenth, let’s help people register to vote.

For decades, we fought to expand voting rights in America. Now we’re living in an era when relentless obstacles are being thrown in the way of people trying to vote. We can’t let those tactics defeat us. In America, the power belongs with the people. And the way we show that power is by voting.

So let’s reach out to family, friends and neighbors – especially those who have never voted before. Remind them that with voting, anything is possible. And without it, nothing is possible.

Yesterday in Galveston, we gathered in Reedy Chapel to commemorate Juneteenth, just like people have done for 160 years and counting. We prayed, sang, and read General Order #3 again. The pews were full of families. How many people must have prayed for freedom inside those walls. How many must have sent fervent thanks to God when slavery finally ended.

I remembered the words of my late friend John Lewis. He said, “Freedom is not a state. It is an act.”

Juneteenth did not mark the end of America’s work to deliver on the promise of equality. It only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we must continue to work toward that promise. For our freedom. For our democracy. And for America itself.

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Cities Across the U.S. Shrink or Cancel Juneteenth Events as DEI Support Wanes

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship. In many communities, the once-growing recognition of the holiday is facing sharp resistance tied to the unraveling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

In Denver, Colorado, the annual Juneteenth Music Festival, one of the largest in the nation—was cut from two days to one. Organizers said more than a dozen corporate sponsors walked away from commitments, leaving them with a financial gap that almost canceled the event. Norman Harris, the festival’s executive director, said several companies “pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year.” Harris credited grassroots donors and small businesses for stepping in when larger backers stepped aside.

In Colorado Springs, the local celebration was relocated to the Citadel Mall parking lot after support from previous sponsors disappeared. Organizers noted that where there were once dozens of corporate partners, only five remained. The downsized event was pieced together with limited resources, but community leaders said they refused to let the holiday go unacknowledged.

Scottsdale, Arizona, canceled its Juneteenth observance after the city council voted to dissolve its diversity, equity, and inclusion office in February. Without the office in place, the city offered no support for planning or funding, leaving residents without an official celebration.

In San Diego, the Cooper Family Foundation lost a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that had been earmarked for Juneteenth programming. Organizers said the decision forced them to personally finance key elements of the event, including cultural exhibits, performances, and youth engagement activities.

Bend, Oregon, called off its Juneteenth event entirely. Organizers cited political tensions and safety concerns, saying they could not secure the partnerships needed to proceed. A public statement from the planning committee described the current climate as “increasingly volatile,” making it difficult to host a safe and inclusive event.

West Virginia, which has recognized Juneteenth as a paid state holiday since 2017, will not sponsor any official events this year. State leaders pointed to budget constraints and recent decisions to eliminate DEI programming across agencies as the reasons for stepping away from public observance.

Austin, Texas, has also reduced its Juneteenth programming. While the city has not canceled events outright, organizers said diminished city support and fewer private contributions forced them to focus only on core activities.

“Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,” said Harris. “But it shows how fragile that support has become.”

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