One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Newsom's State Budget Out Monday Will Propose $2.7 Billion In New Spending To Combat COVID
People wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 at Union Station on Friday. A new state budget released Monday proposes major new spending to combat the pandemic.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new budget proposal comes out today (Jan. 10). Over the weekend, Newsom previewed some $2.7 billion dollars in new spending to combat the pandemic.
Newsom wants that spending to include a $1.4 billion emergency appropriation request that could be approved in advance of the full budget.
The emergency money would:
- add hours and expand staffing at COVID testing places
- distribute millions more test kits for health clinics and schools
- add staff to help hospitals cope deal with higher case loads.
We are proposing a NEW COVID-19 Emergency Response Package that will be the largest in the nation and will provide immediate funding for:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2022
- More tests
- More vaccines and boosters
- More support for hospitals
- More partnerships to fight misinformation pic.twitter.com/ejibt0cb33
There’s also money in the proposal to continue media ads and more person-to-person outreach to get people vaccinated and reduce misinformation about the pandemic.This is all on top of some $11.2 billion dollars the state has already spent on pandemic response, much of it coming from federal COVID relief acts.
The new proposed spending comes at a time when many counties are struggling to increase current vaccination rates, which have plateaued despite omicron driving the highest daily case numbers of the nearly two-year old pandemic. In recent days, CalMatters reported that fewer than 40% of eligible Californians have gotten booster shots.
Some of the governor's previous COVID-related spending has come under scrutiny, including questions about whether the state got it's moneys worth from a $1.7 billion no-bid contract with a public-private testing lab.
Sponsored message
The governor also ordered more than 200 members of the California National Guard to help staff 50 COVID testing sites around the state.
LAist staff contributed to this report.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
