(Sacramento – June 13, 2019) – Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer (D – South Los Angeles) today released the following statement regarding the 2020-2021 budget just passed by the Legislature.
“I am happy to see that this year’s budget contains over $20 million worth of direct investments in the 59th Assembly District, with potentially millions more in various state grant funds,” said Asm. Jones-Sawyer. “The $10 million investment made in the Natural History Museum will help provide access to important educational and cultural resources to all families in my district, and the $10 million for Destination Crenshaw, a project that will bring much needed infrastructure and environmental equity to the people of South Los Angeles along LA METRO’s LAX-Crenshaw line.”
“In addition to the direct investment in my community I am also proud to say that we are also making sure we honor our commitment to improve public safety and equity throughout California,” said Jones-Sawyer. “We are committing $5.8 million to end the practice of organized retail theft that affects communities like South Los Angeles, which is why I authored AB 1065 last year. In addition, we are providing $15 million for localities to create social equity programs that will provide grants to a diverse group of entrepreneurs to enter the legal cannabis market instead of the illicit cannabis market.”
This year’s budget includes historic investments in K-12 education ($81.1 billion) and California’s rainy day reserves ($16.5 billion). The budget passed by the Legislature represents a balanced and measured approach to funding the state’s needs while still managing to maintain a $21.5 billion surplus. Among those investments are commitments to fund Medi-Cal for undocumented individuals that are 18 – 25 years of age, improved healthcare access for middle-class families and low-income families, and ongoing, sustainable investments in child care benefitting California children and their families. Finally, the budget also contains new funding to address our housing crisis through grants for local governments.
“Our budget is a reflection of our values, and this year we are showing a commitment to our future,” said Jones-Sawyer. “I am proud to say that for the second year in a row I was able to secure funds for the Youth Re-Investment Grant (YRG). With the additional $5 million for the YRG and $10 million dollars for Tribal Youth Diversion we now have received a total of $52.3 from the past two budgets to fund diversion programs to end the school to prison pipeline. These funds are in addition to the $5 million that will be awarded to community based organizations that offer rehabilitation programs for those awaiting release. California taxpayers receive the greatest return on investment when we prioritize our children and invest in their success.”
Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr. represents South Los Angeles, Florence-Firestone, Walnut Park, and a portion of Huntington Park. For more information about Assemblymember Jones-Sawyer, Sr., please visit https://a57.asmdc.org/