June 29, 2016
By Rebekah Cearley
2016-17 Budget
On Monday, June 27, 2016, the Governor signed SB 826, the 2016-17 Budget Act, and a number of trailer bills to implement policy changes in the budget. For the first time since the 1980’s, the Governor did not exercise his line-item veto authority to reduce or eliminate any of the budget appropriations passed by the Legislature.
The budget includes $122.5 billion in General Fund expenditures, $51.6 billion of which is slated for K-12 education programs. The budget prioritizes preparing for the next economic downturn, one of the Governor’s top priorities, by placing an extra $2 billion into the state’s Rainy Day Fund, bringing the total fund balance to $6.7 billion. The budget also addresses one of the Legislature’s top priorities by including $400 million for affordable housing, tied to future regulatory reform, and authorizing development of a $2 billion bond program to address homelessness for individuals with mental health needs. Details of this program are still being negotiated.
Today, the Californians for Quality Schools campaign announced that eight more local labor unions, representing thousands of workers in communities across California, have endorsed the Kindergarten Through Community College Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2016. The measure, a $9 billion state school facilities bond to adequately fund school construction and modernization projects for K-14 school districts will ensure students are learning in safe facilities and will create thousands of construction and trade jobs. The local labor organizations that recently endorsed the bond include: Ironworkers Local 155; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 6; Sheet Metal Workers Local No. 104; Teamsters Local Union No. 890; Floor Coverers Local 1237; Bricklayers, Tilesetters and Allied Craftworkers Local 3; Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 159; and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 364.