Press Release

Senator Smallwood-Cuevas Protects Funding Benefiting Working Families with 2025 Budget Wins

Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) reaffirmed her commitment to protecting critical funding for California’s working families through the signing of the Budget Act of 2025, passed by the State Senate last week. In a year of tough budget decisions threatening rollbacks to essential protections, Senator Smallwood-Cuevas fought to ensure that the urgent needs of working families, immigrants, and communities of color were not ignored.

 

Despite painful cuts in other areas, Senator Smallwood-Cuevas secured targeted investments that uplift the cultural identity, economic strength, and civil rights of communities across in her district and across the state — particularly marginalized communities that have long been overlooked.

 

Highlights of Senator Smallwood-Cuevas’ budget wins include:

 

  • Historic South Los Angeles Black Cultural District – $2.5 million

Establishes California’s first state-recognized Black Cultural District to preserve Black heritage, promote local economic opportunity, and uplift the legacy of South LA.

 

  • California Worker Outreach Project – $13 million

Funds multilingual outreach, education, and legal rights training for low-wage, immigrant and frontline workers.

 

  • Community Mediation and Reconciliation – $3.9 million

Supports early intervention in civil rights disputes through a dedicated mediation unit, and maintains funding for community-based efforts to deescalate conflict and build trust.

 

  • Civil Rights Enforcement – $1.4 million

Expands the state’s capacity to investigate hate incidents and protect residents from discrimination and civil rights violations.

 

“This was a difficult budget year, and while some painful cuts moved forward, we fought to protect working families, defend civil rights, and preserve the cultural fabric of South LA,” said Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. “These investments are not symbolic — they meet real and urgent needs in our communities. In a year full of hard choices, I’m proud that we delivered meaningful progress where it was needed most.”

 

Senator Smallwood-Cuevas also played a leading role in advancing key statewide budget priorities that reflect her longstanding commitment to equity, opportunity, and community resilience. These include:

 

  • Historic expansion of the Film and Television Tax Credit to $750 million, keeping production jobs in state and benefiting local workers and small businesses.

 

  • $500 million to address homelessness through the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program.

 

  • $39 million for wildfire recovery to transition season firefighter positions to permanent union roles.

 

  • $36 million to protect CalFresh food assistance for families across the state, and $10 million for HOPE accounts to help foster youth build financial security.

 

  • $10 million for immigration legal services under the One California program, ensuring access to trusted legal support.

 

  • $1.5 million to create a statewide strategy aligning higher education and workforce training with industry needs, expanding access to quality career pathways — especially for underrepresented communities.

 

  • Support for small business growth through renewed investment in the Women’s Business Center Enhancement Program, expanding resources for women entrepreneurs.