PRESS RELEASE: Senate Highlights 2019 Legislative Accomplishments
SACRAMENTO – The California State Senate closed the 2019 legislative session last week having approved significant initiatives that address the affordable housing crisis, help improve wildfire preparation and response, reform law enforcement’s use of force, protect women’s rights and aid workers in the new economy, while at the same time cutting taxes for working families and small business and helping more middle-class families afford health coverage.
“The Legislature has done some exceptional work in this first year of the two-year legislative session,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego). “On many key issues facing our state, the Senate continues to provide progressive leadership in line with California values.”
Budget Accomplishments (partial list)
The Legislature continues to invest in California’s people, infrastructure, and future. We passed a bold and responsible budget that provides record funding for schools and higher education, as well as historic reserves—$19.2 billion—to protect against economic downturns.
Other key budget improvements include $2.4 billion for housing and homelessness, $1 billion for emergency preparedness, response and recovery, $460 million tax cut for small businesses, and funding to make health care more affordable for middle class families. We also expanded California’s vital Earned Income Tax Credit, providing a $600 million tax cut for lower-income working families.
Legislative Accomplishments (partial list)
- Protected renters from indiscriminate evictions and rate increases, one of many efforts this year to make housing more affordable for Californians.
- Passed landmark legislation that updated our state’s use-of-force statute and reformed it to end preventable deaths without jeopardizing the safety of our law enforcement officers.
- Negotiated a solution to protect ratepayers by overhauling the way our state and utilities cover the cost of wildfire damages and set up a wildfire recovery fund.
- Put a $15 billion education construction bond for our schools, community colleges and universities on the ballot in March.
- Provided ongoing funding for safe water for communities suffering from groundwater pollution, without any burdensome taxes or charges on working Californians or on our farming community and prevented any special breaks for those who pollute our drinking water.
“There is still much work to do to address both the challenges and opportunities we know that California faces, as well as those that we have yet to encounter,” Atkins said. “After this productive and progressive year, I know the California State Senate is excited about what lies ahead.”
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Toni G. Atkins is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. Having previously served as Speaker of the California Assembly, she began her tenure in the Senate in 2016. As Senator for District 39, she represents the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach. Website of President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins: www.senate.ca.gov/Atkins