Newsom’s more than $286-billion budget proposal for 2022-23, unveiled Monday, follows the unconventional model that has become a hallmark of his governing style and drawn some criticism — bucking the approach of his predecessors, who narrowed their focus to a few signature policies. Instead, the 54-year-old Democrat has become a governor who “swings at every pitch,” as he often describes the critique of his wide-ranging agenda.
His plan includes a mix of high-profile proposals sure to grab attention, such as the expansion of Medi-Cal eligibility to all immigrants and a call for the state to manufacture insulin, and others to more quietly bolster the safety net and chip away at California’s problems.
The governor is proposing $1.2 billion over two years for forest health and fire prevention and suggests offering incentives for developers to build housing in downtown areas, in hopes of discouraging the kind of suburban sprawl into forests that has put new homes in the path of wildfires.
At a news conference Monday, Newsom touted the $12-billion, three-year investment he dedicated to address homelessness in the current state budget and proposed spending another $2 billion next fiscal year, including money to clean up encampments that have become a fixture in California cities. He also said he would “lean into” conservatorships, the controversial legal process in which an adult appointed by a court manages the affairs of another person.
Elliott said the state’s efforts include addressing affordability and expanding social services to keep people from becoming homeless in the first place, as well as short-term work on the ground to get people shelter and care.
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