SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom is planning to give his State of the State speech before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, making it the soonest he has ever delivered the address as governor of California.
Newsom confirmed to reporters last week that he plans to combine his annual State of the State speech with his January budget presentation, which is due by Friday, Jan. 10. Twice a year, the governor provides the budget update that includes the state’s spending plan and financial condition to prepare for the upcoming fiscal year. He had signaled in early December that doing the address and the presentation together would be an effort to intentionally provide the updates before Trump takes office.
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“I thought I would perhaps do everybody a favor by collapsing them into one presentation which I’m looking forward to doing,” the governor said at a public safety-related press conference in Oakland.
Experts note Newsom’s plan to combine the State of the State address and budget presentation would be a way to highlight the impact the new federal government will have on California’s financial future.
California’s total expenditures for this current year are $450.8 billion. According to the California Budget and Policy Center, federal dollars account for a little more than a third of that with about $153 billion. The majority of that money, about $116 billion, helps the state with health and human services expenses. The rest goes toward public schools, higher education, workforce development and transportation programs.
The most recent state budget outlook from the state Legislature’s top financial analyst shows California may face a shortfall of about $2 billion in the upcoming year, with larger deficits expected in the years to come.
“The budget is a lot of unknowns because it’s an initial estimate,” said Chris Micheli, an adjunct professor at the McGeorge School of Law. “While the governor has to submit his budget to the Legislature no later than January 10th, the big unknown is what does the incoming Trump administration on January 20th propose to do? Will they withdraw federal funding? A small amount? A significant amount?”
There we go again—no accountability where the money goes. Do we even have an accountability department in Kalifornia? Wait! We do! Into the pockets of politicians for their projects – retirement funds!