Subcommittee #1 (Education) Laird (D-Santa Cruz) Chair, Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa), and Pérez (D-Pasadena)
Governor Proposes to Slash Financial Aid for Middle Class College Students. The subcommittee heard testimony on several college financial aid issues, including Governor Newsom’s proposal to slash nearly $400 million from California’s Middle Class Scholarship program. Republican Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R‑Yucaipa) raised concerns about these proposals, stating “We have the Governor who's proposing a reduction of nearly $400 million to the Middle Class Scholarship… We saw last week, the Governor also suggesting that we cut funding to the UC and the CSU, so overall, the message is actually not a pleasant one. It looks like the current administration has not prioritized college affordability overall.” She added, “Especially as a daughter of immigrant parents who emphasized the importance of education, it’s not a good look for the [Governor’s] administration.” The subcommittee will vote on these proposals at a hearing later this spring.
Subcommittee #2 (Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy) Allen (D-Santa Monica) Chair, Choi (R-Irvine), Blakespear (D-Encinitas), McNerney (D- Pleasanton)
Republican Senator Advocates Reducing Fire Risk from Electric Lines. The subcommittee discussed issues related to energy, including allocating $325 million in bond funding for clean energy transmission projects, approved as part of Proposition 4 in 2024. Power lines and other utility equipment have sparked some of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, possibly including the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles earlier this year. Given these dangers, Republican Senator Steven Choi (R-Irvine) has expressed a strong desire to alleviate fire risk by prioritizing mitigation projects, including undergrounding transmission lines. Senator Choi, calling wildfires a “top priority,” suggested the state and electric utilities focus on undergrounding power lines as a more permanent solution to “address fire prevention and protection of human lives, property, and the environment.” Although the bond funds are restricted to clean energy projects, since burying lines reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing wildfires, arguably those types of projects should be considered for funding. The subcommittee will vote on these issues at a future hearing.
Subcommittee #3 (Health and Human Services) Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) Chair, Grove (R-Bakersfield), Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley)
Governor Wants Authority to Levy Fees Unilaterally. The subcommittee heard the Governor’s proposal to allow the Department of Public Health to annually raise licensing fees on clinical laboratories, tissue banks, and biologics facilities without coming back to the Legislature for approval. If this proposal is adopted, the department would be able to adjust fees upward annually by any amount, without adequate input from the public. Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) criticized the proposal, which would reduce accountability and input from the public. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to give blanket authority for fee increases,” she stated, and further remarked that when the Legislature considers any fee increase, “there’s a process where the public gets to participate.” The subcommittee did not vote on the proposal but deferred any action until a hearing later this spring.
Subcommittee #4 (State Administration and General Government) Cabaldon (D-Yolo) Chair, Niello (R-Fair Oaks), and Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles)
Billions of Dollars Spent, Yet Homelessness Continues to Grow. The subcommittee discussed several homelessness programs, including the Homeless Housing and Assistance Grant Program and the Encampment Resolution Grant program. The state has spent more than $27 billion on homelessness efforts since Governor Newsom took office, and yet the homeless population is at its highest level, more than 187,000 Californians, a 58 percent increase since 2016. During the Governor’s time in office, the state has provided funding for more than 30 programs. Senator Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) argued that the state’s numerous programs lack focus on self‑sufficiency. In order to achieve long-term success, the Governor’s administration should include self-sufficiency as an overarching goal of any homeless program receiving state funding.
Subcommittee #5 (Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation) Richardson (D- San Pedro) Chair, Seyarto (R-Murrieta), Wahab (D-Hayward), and Durazo (D-Los Angeles)
Governor Seeks Savings Through Reduced Oversight. The subcommittee discussed several issues related to state and local corrections, including a proposal to eliminate the California Rehabilitation Oversight Board (C‑ROB) within the Office of the Inspector General. The proposal is part of the Governor’s plan to achieve $3.9 million in annual savings from the Inspector General’s budget. C-ROB is charged with independently evaluating the effectiveness of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s programming, offenders’ rehabilitation needs, gaps in rehabilitative services, and levels of offender participation and success. Republican Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) alluded to the irony of eliminating C-ROB while simultaneously spending hundreds of millions of dollars to implement the “California Model” of intensive rehabilitation at San Quentin State Prison, which seeks to “reimagine” prison life.