Newsom’s Budget May Revision is balanced on hopes and prayers

Californians deserve to have a balanced budget

Over the past two budget cycles, Governor Newsom has blown through a $100 billion surplus, creating a budget deficit of $73 billion. To address this shortfall, the governor has proposed balancing the state's budget primarily with cash transfers, gimmicks and tricks, which will set California on a path to systemic deficit spending for years to come.

In response to Newsom's May Revision, California Senate Republicans issued the following statements:

"At first glance, as I've heard kids say these days, the math is not mathing," said Senator Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee. "The governor is in denial with these partial and unverified numbers. I was hopeful he would have been more detailed, prudent, and honest with his approach to this deficit. When he leaves us behind and travels to the Vatican, hopefully he receives divine guidance to complete his May Revision proposal and provides a reasonable and sustainable budget plan that Californians deserve."

"Awfully convenient timing for the governor to dump his bad news about California's$73 billion budget deficit on a Friday afternoon, only to swiftly jet out of the country next week and avoid accountability for his years of reckless spending," said Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego). "Now is not the time for a luxurious European vacation. We need the governor and the legislature to enact quickly a spending plan that addresses Democrats' years of overspending. Fixing this budget disaster should be the highest priority of every elected state official right now. "

Senate Republicans have some specific concerns about the governor's 2024-25 May Revision, including:

• It is based on overly-optimistic revenue projections;
• It continues unsustainable spending that began during the Democrats' more than decade-long control of the budget process;
• According to the Department of Finance, the state budget has jumped from $126 billion in 2011-12 to over $327 billion in 2023-24 resulting in an overall budget increase of 159% ($201 billion) in just 12 years, which is an average increase of 13% every year;
• Per capita spending from 2011 to 2024, has more than doubled from $3,353 to $8,363.