Senator Smallwood-Cuevas’ Statement on the Governor’s Budget Proposal Released Today

Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) shared the following statement on Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2026/27 budget proposal released today:

“I applaud Governor Newsom for introducing a sensible and forward-thinking budget proposal that meets the moment for working families throughout California. In a fiscal year marked by economic uncertainty, this budget demonstrates clear priorities — protecting essential services, reinforcing our education system, and expanding workforce pathways that enable working families to thrive.

“The Governor’s budget proposal safeguards vital frontline services that our communities rely on every day while making key investments in K-12 education and higher education affordability. It also makes important commitments to funding workforce development programs that train individuals for good-paying jobs and career pathways in emerging industries.

“Yet, despite these proposed budget protections, we must be real about the challenges our state faces. Trump era budget cuts hollowed out the federal support California relies on to stabilize our communities when economic downturns hit. Fewer federal dollars means more pressure on our already strained state budgets — putting working families at greater risk of absorbing costs through cuts to essential services. Meanwhile, Trump’s actions enable wealthy shareholders to get wealthier as working families continue to struggle.

“Given the significant fiscal difficulties confronting our state, the Governor has put his best strategy forward in this budget proposal. I look forward to working with the Newsom administration and my legislative colleagues to not only address Trump’s budget cuts, but also affordability through fair share strategies that help working families weather this challenging time.”