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The California Department of Finance released Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for January 2017-18, prompting response from other California lawmakers.

Senator Scott Wilk, R-Antelope Valley, issued the following statement in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s 2017-18 Budget Proposal:

“The governor’s budget proposal continues to show a lack of commitment to solving our state’s biggest issues. While tipping his hat to fiscal responsibility by limiting spending in some areas, he has also laced this proposal with pet projects to the tune of several billion dollars.

“Failing to adequately serve the needs of Californians in areas of roads, water storage and public education in order to make room for High Speed Rail and other gubernatorial pipe-dreams is not responsible in any way, fiscally or otherwise.

“While I am disappointed with today’s proposal, I remain inspired by Californians who voted to approve the Rainy Day Fund, mandating nearly 2 percent of this year’s budget be set aside for leaner times. I am proud to a have co-authored that measure and remain committed to finding new ways to preserve our state’s economic livelihood.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to rework much of the governor’s proposed spending to more moderate and equitable levels. We must capitalize on our increased revenue to fix our roads, solve our water crisis, maximize education funding and prepare ourselves for the inevitable economic downturn by paying our debts and limiting long-term funding commitments.”

California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White’s issued the following statement in regards to the Governor’s Proposed Budget:

“We are appreciative of the Governor’s commitment to investing in public higher education and the additional funding proposed will help address some of the California State University’s priorities. The university is committed to improving student achievement with a focus on Graduation Initiative 2025, which will eliminate the achievement gap and help address California’s looming shortfall of one million baccalaureate degree-educated citizens over the next 10 years. While student completion has reached all-time highs and continues to increase, we will review all options to ensure that we are able to maintain that momentum.”

Board of Equalization Member George Runner today issued the following statement in response to Governor Jerry Brown’s 2017-18 January budget proposal:

“The governor’s continued call for fiscal restraint makes sense. The state is still vulnerable to the boom-and-bust dangers of the past, especially since California voters chose to extend tax increases on high-income earners. A real threat to Governor Brown’s desired legacy of fiscal conservatism will be legislative Democrats who wish to spend more money on government programs, now that they command a super-majority in both houses. That’s why it’s disappointing to see Brown use his final years as governor to call for a gas tax hike, especially at a time when fuel prices are on the rise. A better plan to fix our roads would be to cut government waste, eliminate the bloated high-speed rail project, and better prioritize existing dollars. Rather than add new programs, we should use the additional revenue to correct mistakes of the past such as the illegal fire fee and the state’s confusing fuel tax swap.”

Assemblyman Dante Acosta (R-Santa Clarita) issued the following statement in response to Governor Brown’s 2017-18 budget proposal:

“While I appreciate Governor Brown’s focus on reining in state spending, his priorities are out of focus with our region. In light of economic uncertainties, the budget ought to be addressing the real problems our state faces, not creating new programs and spending money we don’t have. We need to be investing in our crumbling roads and infrastructure, increasing the affordability of housing through increased supply, and providing more opportunities for job training such as technical education. Along with taking care of our veterans and ensuring public safety, these are the real issues facing people across the 38th Assembly District and California, and they need to be reflected in our state’s budget. I look forward to working with my Democrat and Republican colleagues to provide solutions to these problems and bring back into focus the issues that matter to Californians.”

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson issued the following statement today on Governor Brown’s proposed budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year:

“In a year where California’s overall revenue is down, this is still another positive step forward for California’s 6.2 million public school students. The Governor’s proposed budget continues to invest more in helping students succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college. The budget proposal adds $2.1 billion to the annual Proposition 98 guarantee for public education, which will increase to $73.5 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Per-pupil spending under Prop. 98 will reach about $10,900, up from about $10,600 in the current budget year. As state revenue improves and the budget process continues, we hope that support for Early Education remains a priority for our youngest learners.Once again, I want to thank California voters for supporting this investment in our students when they approved Proposition 51 and Proposition 55 in the November election. Prop. 51 will deliver $9 billion in matching bonds fund to upgrade or construct new schools, and Prop. 55 continues an income tax extension to improve overall school funding.”

Governor Brown’s 2017-18 January budget proposal is posted below.