Sacramento – Governor Gavin Newsom proposed slashing budgets regarding public safety, such as prisons and law enforcement, as the state simultaneously grapples with a crippling deficit and doubles down on climate goals relating to equity.
The proposed budget, released in May, notes that “difficult decisions” are necessary to address the estimated $27.6 billion deficit, which is projected to continue for years to come. It includes a $97 million cut to trial court operations, $10 million to the Department of Justice’s Division of Law Enforcement and more than $80 million to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation according to Fox News.
A Newsom spokesperson initially told Fox News Digital that there were “no cuts to law enforcement.”
“The budget proposes numerous ways to make government more efficient and reduce costs for taxpayers, including cuts on inmate spending. Since Governor Newsom took office in 2019, the state has made record investments in law enforcement, including $1.1 billion to tackle crime, support police, and hold criminals accountable,” the spokesperson said.
However, an official from the Department of Finance acknowledged a 1.6% reduction in the state’s Department of Justice’s overall proposed budget.
“What’s happening in California is just the greatest disrespect of taxpayer’s resources in the history of America,” Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy T. Patronis, told Fox News Digital. “They’re in a panic. They’re in a free fall. They’re looking for money to make up this enormous budget deficit they’ve got right now.”
Patronis argued that an exodus from California has helped fuel the budget deficit. The Golden State experienced the largest net loss of one-way movers, according to a United Van Lines study published earlier this year.
