Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) today voted no on the majority party's proposed $355 billion state budget, calling it an irresponsible, unaffordable plan that grows government, raises taxes on those who can least afford it, and fails to prioritize the public safety needs of Californians.
"California does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem," said Sen. Valladares. "This budget doubles state spending from just ten years ago. It raises taxes across the board and chooses pet projects over public safety and affordable living. Californians are already leaving this state in record numbers because they cannot afford to stay, and the majority's answer is to take even more out of their pockets. Voting no was not a close call."
$14 Billion in New Taxes on Working Californians
The $355 billion budget represents a record high in state spending, funded by more than $14 billion in new taxes on workers, employers, and families, according to CalTax. The real-world impact on Californians is significant:
- Healthcare costs increase by $1.5 billion in new commercial health insurance costs, more than $400 per year for a family of four and more than $10,000 per year for a business with 100 employees.
- Gas prices go up as new refinery supply requirements drive up production costs that will be passed directly to consumers.
- Phones and computers get taxed through a new software tax that will raise the price of nearly every product and service purchased in California.
- Business growth is penalized as the budget permanently limits tax credits including the research and development credit.
- Middle-class scholarships are slashed by $435 million, a 45 percent cut that pulls the rug out from students and families counting on that support.
Public Safety Left Behind
California voters approved Proposition 36 to crack down on crime, with nearly 60% approval. This budget falls far short of funding full implementation, leaving local jurisdictions without the necessary resources to implement the law.
"Public safety is not a line item to be trimmed, it is the foundation of everything else," said Sen. Valladares. "This budget turns its back on what voters demanded and on the communities I represent."
A Different Path
Senator Valladares authored three bills this session to deliver real affordability relief, expanding medical expense deductions, increasing the child dependent tax credit, and requiring CARB to disclose the full cost of its regulations. The majority killed all three.
"I will keep fighting for a budget that reflects what Californians actually need, lower costs, safe communities, and a government that lives within its means," Sen. Valladares concluded. "The people of California deserve so much better than this."