Good morning CalMatters reader,

California approved a $352 billion budget last week, setting in motion a flow of funds that will work its way down to local services.

CalMatters’ Yue Stella Yue breaks down the statewide news: Newsom’s parting gift: A budget that delays California’s deep cuts to 2027, while CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones writes on a $5.5 million cut from school libraries: California school libraries blindsided by ‘catastrophic’ budget cut.

Since (January), tax revenue has grown faster than expected, thanks to the artificial intelligence-driven economic boom. The final budget agreement largely relies on that windfall and new taxes Newsom has championed, along with delayed healthcare cuts and suspended payments to K-12 schools and state reserves to balance the books and slash future deficits, Yue writes.

The deal also restores $900 million in funding for grants to cities in the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program.

Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, who advocated for the return of the funding as chair of California Big City Mayors, celebrated the return of funding.

“HHAP gives local governments the flexibility to invest in the solutions that work best for their communities—from outreach and shelter to permanent housing and supportive services,” said Dawson.

Assemblymember James Ramos applauded the inclusion of $15 million in grant funding to fight crimes against indigenous people.

“We remain among the fifth highest in the nation in the number of unresolved (murdered and missing Indigenous People) cases. The ongoing trauma and consequences of such disproportionate violence affects generations, and it is time that we deal with this issue in a proactive, sustained manner,” he said.

The legislature entered their summer recess last Thursday, starting a month-long break. Bills from the IE’s elected representatives went through a final stretch of committee votes to meet a legislative deadline. With the final specialized committee meetings behind them, here’s how the IE’s legislator’s bills fared.

Sen. Sabrina Cervantes’ automated license plate reader restriction bill passed the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection 9-2, with four not voting. Her amendment of the California Voting Rights Act passed the Assembly Elections Committee 6-2, with Assemblymember Natasha Johnson from Lake Elsinore voting no. Cervantes’ bill to keep cast ballots in the custody of a county’s registrar of voters, in response to Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of ballots, passed the same committee 6-2, with Johnson voting no. Her bill to split Riverside County’s coroner office from the sheriff’s office, in response to deaths in Riverside jails, passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee 7-2, along party lines.

Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes’ ban on covert recording through smart glasses passed the same committee 8-2, with five not voting. Her AI-labor displacement bill was passed after she amended it to revise the Cal/WARN Act rather than creating a whole new section of law, and her electric vehicle incentive bill was passed after the senator made a deal with manufacturers to amend the bill after the break. 

Assemblymember James Ramos’ bill to integrate tribal colleges with California’s public universities passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously. The Senate Public Safety Committee unanimously approved his bill empowering tribal police. 

Assemblymember Johnson’s bill that would allow a county’s board of supervisors to delegate power to their treasurer passed the Senate Committee on Public Safety unanimously.

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