California budget deadline looms + Rob Bonta calls on FDA to ban synthetic nicotine
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
IT’S BUDGET WEEK
Reporter Lindsey Holden contributed to this report.
This is the week. Lawmakers have until Wednesday to send a budget to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The Assembly and Senate are set Monday to consider SB 154 and AB 154, the Senate and Assembly budget acts for 2022-23.
On Thursday, the Legislative Analyst’s Office released an overview of the Legislature’s proposed budget and where it parts ways with Newsom’s spending plan.
One key difference: state lawmakers have rejected his proposal to send money to drivers to alleviate their pain at the gas pump. They favor a $200 tax rebate for individuals making less than $125,000 and joint filers making less than $250,000 as well as one-time cash assistance to SSI/SSP recipients and CalWORKS families.
With the new fiscal year set to start July 1, there isn’t much time, as Scott Graves of the California Budget and Policy Center noted on Twitter Friday.
There are 123 days between the governor’s introduction of the budget in January and the May Revise, then 19 days to the joint California Legislature budget plan. After that, it’s just seven days before the bill goes to print, then another seven to the June 15 deadline.
“Anyone see a problem here? Any workable alternatives?” Graves wrote.
Once the budget goes to Newsom, he typically has 12 working days to sign it, according to this Senate document about the budget process. Newsom can issue line item vetoes of appropriations that he doesn’t like. The Legislature requires a two-thirds vote to override.
BONTA JOINS COALITION OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL OPPOSED TO SYNTHETIC NICOTINE
Looking to address the teen vaping crisis, California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban synthetic nicotine products.
“Synthetic nicotine products have become the new driver of the youth vaping crisis, with manufacturers using fun flavors and attractive marketing to addict a new generation to nicotine,” Bonta said in a statement. “While synthetic nicotine products claim to be ‘healthier’ and ‘safer’ than traditional tobacco products, these products, particularly when flavored, can pose significant health risks.”
Bonta, a Democrat, joined Republicans and fellow Democrats, including those from Idaho, Illinois, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and North Carolina.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Gov. Gavin Newsom lost a bet with Sen. Alex Padilla when the Giants lost to the Dodgers in last year’s playoffs. Check out this tweet to see how Newsom made good on his bet.
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