Senator Wiener’s Statement on Governor Brown’s Budget

Senator Scott Wiener issued the following statement after California Governor Jerry Brown issued his 2017-2018 State Budget:

“Today Governor Brown proposed a balanced budget that focuses on several key priorities for our state, including education funding, health care access, affordable housing and transportation projects, and climate change. 

I agree with Governor Brown’s statements today that the science of climate change is clear and getting stronger, and we need to respond wisely here in California to what is happening in Washington. I support the Governor’s proposal to extend Cap and Trade beyond 2020 to guarantee funding for emission reductions through increased transit, more affordable housing near transit and jobs, and other green energy and water conservation efforts, and I support making Cap and Trade permanent. California can and should be aggressive on this and other clean energy measures, like with my recent legislation to expand solar installations in new construction.

And while I hope we can find more money for affordable housing in the budget, I do agree with the Governor that we need to work harder to cut the red tape and expenses we can to bring down the cost to build housing at all income levels, which is what I’m hoping to accomplish through Senate Bill 35, which I’ve proposed to spur housing construction all across our state. We also need to be more aggressive in funding transportation projects, and I look forward to working with Senator Jim Beall on SB 1 to ensure critical funding for public transportation throughout our state.

As we move forward through the budget process, we need to continue to be diligent and flexible to prepare for any cuts that may be coming from the Federal government or to protect our residents in the face of what would be a disastrous cut to the Affordable Care Act, which insures more than 130,000 residents in San Francisco alone and over 20 million Americans nationwide.

I look forward to working on these issues among many as the legislature takes up the Budget in the coming months.”