2019 - 2020 Legislative and Budget Round Up
We are living in an unprecedented time and the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic have touched us all. Every single day I remind myself that I serve at the pleasure of my constituents, and this year has been no different. The following is a brief on Team Roth and the Legislature’s efforts to meet these challenges so far, and how we continue to serve constituents in need.
The 2020 Legislative year started like any other before the COVID-19 pandemic altered our focus. Legislators were sent home for an extended recess and encouraged to re-evaluate their bill packages, prioritizing responses to COVID-19, wildfires, and housing/homelessness. I took this charge seriously, voluntarily shelving all but one of my bills. Instead, our team immediately shifted focus to providing constituent services and helping individuals and families navigate the bureaucracy of safety net services.
Since March 1, the team has fielded over 1,300 inquiries and requests for assistance. I am proud to say that we have resolved over 700 issues constituents had experienced with government agencies such as the EDD, DMV, Franchise Tax Board, and various professional licensing bureaus.
Team Roth works hard every day to settle unemployment insurance claims to get my constituents their due payments, renew driver’s licenses and vehicle registration, restore healthcare coverage, connect the housing insecure with critical resources, and so much more.
No agency has demonstrated more difficulty in meeting the needs of struggling Californians during this crisis than the Employment Development Department (EDD). Behind each case managed by my staff is a person or family facing frustration and financial hardship.
As Vice Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, I approved an Emergency Audit that will address the EDD’s inefficient handling of delivering unemployment insurance benefit during this pandemic to ensure everyone receives these much-needed checks in a timely fashion.
Our legislative session concluded on August 31, 2020, and the Governor had until September 30, 2020 to sign or veto legislation. The Legislature dispensed with a drastically reduced bill load under some tight deadlines as mandated by the Constitution.
Since March 1, our team recorded nearly 6,650 positions on bills and issues important to my constituents. This input informs not just how I vote, but what legislation and projects I prioritize for future legislative sessions.
In total, the Legislature sent a little over 400 bills to the Governor. The following is an abbreviated snapshot of some of the major legislation that was signed into law this year.
If there are questions about specific legislation not highlighted below, please feel free to reach out to our office.
HOUSING: Through AB 3088, the Legislature took action to provide protections to tenants whose finances have been negatively impacted due to COVID-19 and the economy, while also providing some financial assurance to landlords similarly impacted. Renters, landlords, and homeowners can learn more about the protections established under this law here: https://landlordtenant.dre.ca.gov/
SMALL BUSINESSES: Seeking to stimulate the economy and incentivize rehiring of workers, the Legislature passed SB 1447, which establishes $100 million in tax credits specifically available for small business hiring.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE): At the start of the pandemic, it quickly became apparent that PPE was a scarce resource. This should never happen, especially for our frontline essential workers. The Legislature passed SB 275 and AB 2537 to ensure that our health care workers have the appropriate protections they need and facilities have adequate reserves of PPE available.
WORKER’S PROTECTIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many of the inequities in our safety net systems. The Legislature sought to provide better access to workers’ compensation benefits for essential workers through SB 1159.
In response to the landmark Dynamex Supreme Court decision, the Legislature passed AB 2257 and AB 323 to provide needed clarification on the status of independent contractors under the law.
HEALTH CARE: The Legislature passed AB 890, which grants full practice authority to nurse practitioners to address some of the primary care provider gaps that exist in our region and throughout the state.
In a reflection of how quickly things can turn, it is striking that the Governor’s budget projection changed from a $6 billion surplus in January to a $54 billion deficit in May after the economic shock of the pandemic. Nevertheless, the State is required to pass a balanced budget. Utilizing the Governor’s May Revision to the budget as a starting point, the State Legislature set to work to maintain access to vital services for constituents across the state. The Budget passed by the Legislature avoided major cuts to important services and safety net programs, including K-14 Education, Health care, and Childcare. The budget also provided vital funding to local governments for homelessness, public health, and other services necessary during the pandemic.
The road to recovery will not be easy. While draconian cuts were avoided thanks to the reserves the State was able to build during our years of growth, difficult choices were still made. There were some cuts and deferrals that will be restored should federal stimulus funding become available in the coming months. These include cuts to our higher education system, courts, and state worker pay.
Fortunately, there were a number of victories and avoided cuts that will keep our region moving forward:
UC RIVERSIDE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: During a time of cuts, we secured the final piece of funding to expand the UC Riverside School of Medicine. This $25 million in ongoing operational funding, coupled with the $93.6 million in funding for a new facility authorized in last year’s budget, is the final step to double enrollment from 250 to 500 medical students, thus establishing a fully realized medical school in our region. This is a victory for our community, which faces a dire shortage of primary care physicians at a time when they are needed most.
K-14 EDUCATION: The 2020-21 budget also avoids $8.1 billion in cuts to K-14 education, coupled with an additional $5.3 billion in federal funding provided to K-12 schools to address learning loss. The Legislature also reversed the Governor’s proposed cuts to afterschool and childcare programs to preserve critical access to these services. Providing all families with access to quality education will be critical to our state’s recovery.
QUALITY HEALTH CARE: The 2020-21 budget preserves $33.3 million in ongoing funding for the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce program, which trains primary care providers in medically underserved regions such as ours. The Legislature also reversed the Governor’s $1.2 billion in proposed cuts to supplemental payments for health providers, which will ensure access to quality health care. Our community and others across the state benefit greatly from these programs seeking to close the health care provider gap.
HOUSING: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed our desperate need for more affordable and stable housing. Despite the budget deficit, the 2020-21 budget sought to invest in housing by building on last year’s sizeable investment for local governments to incentivize housing. The 2020-21 budget provides $300 million to local jurisdictions to help combat homelessness.
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of representing you in our state’s capitol. While there is more work left to be done, Team Roth remains fully committed to ensuring that the needs of our community are heard and met as we continue to weather this storm together.
Please feel free to reach out and let us know how we may best serve you.
Very Sincerely,
RICHARD D. ROTH
Senator, 31st District