Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Yucaipa) joined her Senate Republican colleagues in submitting a formal letter outlining budget priorities to Democratic leadership and Governor Newsom, calling for a shift toward real-world solutions that meet the needs of California families and communities.
The letter, submitted on the deadline for statewide budget requests, demands responsible and transparent budgeting practices focused on public safety, water infrastructure, paying down unemployment debt to the federal government, education, and care for vulnerable children.
“Families in the Inland Empire are working hard and still falling behind. They’re paying more for everything—housing, gas, groceries—while getting less in return,” said Senator Ochoa Bogh. “Our communities are dealing with rising crime, water shortages, and underfunded schools. This budget should focus on fixing those problems, not growing state government. The people I represent in Senate District 19 need real relief and honest leadership, not more political spin.”
While the state budget has ballooned by nearly $86 billion since Governor Newsom took office, transparency and results have declined. California continues to face structural deficits, unaffordable living costs, and a lack of confidence in state government.
Senate Republicans’ budget priority requests include:
- Wildfire Prevention & Preparedness. $3 billion annually for long-term and ongoing funding for forest and vegetation management, keeping seasonal firefighters on payroll year-round.
- Building Water Storage Now. $1 billion to build projects enhancing water reliability and supply, safeguarding communities and protecting property.
- Tackling Crime. Support the will of the voters by allocating $400 million in annual Prop. 36 funding to allow implementation of the treatment-focused approach to reducing California’s dangerously high crime rate.
- Investing in Jobs. Relieve job creators of the $21 billion in unemployment debt the governor saddled them with in the wake of his pandemic-related business shutdowns. Burdening businesses with that debt – that the state should have paid off in the first place – will only make it more difficult to create new jobs in California.
- Investing in Students. The legislature should reject the governor’s plan to cut more than $1.2 billion in funding to the University of California and Cal State University systems and nearly $400 million from Middle Class Scholarships.
- Caring for Medically Fragile Kids. $4 million in this budget and $8 million annually to go for increasing the Medi-Cal provider reimbursement rate for pediatric day health centers.
Senator Ochoa Bogh and her Republican colleagues are urging the majority party to put politics aside and prioritize sustainable, effective solutions.