More reactions to Newsom’s budget + Do Californians still see racism as a big problem?
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
BUDGET REACTIONS REDUX
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget is now one week old, and it has largely drawn cautious optimism from a range of analysts and interest groups.
Notably, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office agreed with Newsom’s approach to the expected deficit, though it disagreed over just how big it will likely be.
“Given this risk, we recommend the Legislature plan for a larger budget problem and address that larger problem by reducing more one‑time and temporary spending,” the LAO said in a report Friday.
Newsom’s office on Friday touted some of the more favorable responses to the budget, including from the California Retailers Association, Motion Picture Association, End Child Poverty California, AARP California, California Labor Federation, California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, California School Boards Association, California Medical Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, NARAL Pro-Choice California and the California State Association of Counties.
FEWER CALIFORNIANS SEE RACISM AS A BIG PROBLEM
While a majority of Californians do still believe racism to be at least somewhat of a problem, the percentage of residents who consider it a big problem has dropped by nearly half since July 2020 — the height of protests over the police killing of George Floyd.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 39% of Californians believe racism to be a big problem and 40% believe it to be somewhat of a problem. In July 2020, 60% believed it to be a big problem.
“This change is due in part to the growing share who now say racism is somewhat of a problem: this group rose from 25% in July 2020 to 40% in late November,” according to a PPIC blog post.
That drop crosses party lines: 81% of Democrats believed racism to be a big problem in July 2020, with just 57% saying the same in November 2022, the most recent time that question was asked. Independents and Republicans also were less likely to see it as a big problem, with a 19-percentage-point-drop for independents and a 12-percentage-point-drop for Republicans.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It is my solemn obligation to invite the president to speak before a Joint Session of Congress on February 7th so that he may fulfill his duty under the Constitution to report on the state of the union.”
- House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, via Twitter.
Best of The Bee:
California leaders should expect a bigger-than-anticipated budget deficit and will need to make additional cuts to prevent digging themselves into a deeper fiscal hole in the future, according to a new report, via Lindsey Holden and Maggie Angst.
Collecting live storm data to refine imperfect computer-generated storm models is the mission of the U.S. Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the ‘hurricane hunters.’ The group, which earned its moniker decades ago by flying into tropical tempests and is based in Mississippi, has a new target: atmospheric rivers of west coast skies, via Ari Plachta.
[VIDEO] Go on a flight with Air Force Reserve ‘Hurricane hunters’ to improve storm forecasts, via Sara Nevis.