Budget letter supports public safety‚ wildfire protection‚ and better accountability for state programs’ results
While we are celebrating the holiday season‚ in Sacramento we are already looking forward to the Legislature reconvening in the first week of January and the governor’s budget proposal shortly after that.
It will be a very difficult budget year‚ with a projected deficit of $18 billion that the Legislature will need to resolve by June.
It is when times are hard that we have to stay most focused on our core priorities. My fellow Republicans in the Senate and I have jointly written a budget letter to be clear where we stand. Our priorities include:
- Funding the public-safety measures to put Proposition 36 into effect as the voters overwhelmingly demanded.
- Continuing to invest in wildfire safety and healthy forests to protect both watersheds and communities near them.
- Supporting financially distressed hospitals‚ which include many serving rural communities‚ to protect access to health care.
- Investing in air ambulance services to ensure critical emergency transport for rural residents.
Most of all‚ we need to ensure that we are holding state government accountable for results. It’s easy in good times to throw money at problems and think you’ve solved them. The time has never been more urgent for the Legislature to focus on what we are getting for the taxpayers’ money.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Email me through my website.
– Senator Megan Dahle
