Sen. Dodd Responds to Gov. Newsom’s 2022 Budget

Monday, January 10, 2022

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, issued the following statement today upon the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2022-23 budget, which invests heavily in essential services such as public schools and wildfire prevention while committing significant resources to pandemic recovery, combatting the climate crisis and assisting in jobs creation.

“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,” Sen. Dodd said. “We can walk and chew gum at the same time – responding to the most pressing safety needs while making progress on our priorities around housing, drought and the economy. I look forward to working with the governor and my legislative colleagues to build on this plan in the months ahead.”

Gov. Newsom’s $286 billion budget makes a substantial investment in Covid-19 response and recovery while supporting essential services including schools, wildfire safety, housing and homelessness mitigation.

Highlights include:

  • $34.6 billion in total reserves
  • $22.5 billion for combating the climate crisis
  • $2.7 billion to address the Covid-19 pandemic
  • $17 million for earthquake early warning
  • $1.2 billion for better forest management of combustible fuels
  • $750 million for drought relief
  • $2 billion to address homelessness by creating behavioral health housing/cleaning up encampments in addition to $12 billion in this year’s budget
  • $285 million to address organized retail theft
  • $30 million for real-time data and mutual aid coordination supporting Sen. Dodd’s Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Center
  • $1.8 million to support creation of Wildfire Technology Office of Research and Development created by Sen. Dodd’s SB 109

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Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. You can learn more about the district and Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.