Newsroom
Legislative Update: Newsom’s Proposed State Budget ‘24-25
Initial Overview
January 11, 2024
Governor Newsom presented his initial 2024-25 budget proposal yesterday, with less dire projections than had been anticipated. The $291 billion budget proposal is about 6% smaller than the total 2023-24 budget, and about 8% smaller than the General Fund spending approved in the 2023-24 budget act.
The budget deficit as calculated by the Department of Finance (DOF) is estimated at $37.9 billion for the coming fiscal year; this is about $30 billion lower than the Legislative Analyst projected last month.
President Freitas is focused on building power for classified members
Jeff Freitas, President of the CFT, emphasized in his address to the attendees of the annual Council of Classified Employees Conference that the organization isn’t a teacher’s union, but a union of teachers and classified professionals.
“We have made sure that we represent everybody in the field of education in the classroom, as well as outside of the classroom,” he said.
State budget for 2023-24
Protects public education with ongoing funding; staffing crisis requires more support
State budget for 2023-24 protects public education with ongoing funding; staffing crisis requires more support:
Governor Newsom and the state Legislature came to an agreement in late June on a budget for 2023-24 that includes $225 billion in general fund expenditures while addressing a $31.7 billion deficit.
The Proposition 98 funding minimum guarantee is $108.3 billion in 2023-24, which is less than what last year’s enacted budget assumed, but slightly higher than the revised guarantee for 2022-23.
Relief for Hard-hit Staff at El Camino College
Not a single member of AFT Local 6142 was furloughed during the Covid pandemic, but the economic crisis hit El Camino College staff hard, and many received notices of 10% increases in rent as soon as eviction moratoriums ended.
“Five union members have told me they live in their cars, and another member was picking cans out of the campus trash cans to buy medicine for his children,” said Local 6142 President Roy Dietz. “That’s humbling, to tell someone about the state you’re in.”
Relief is on the way.
Letter to North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees
North Orange County Community College District Board of
Trustees
1830 W. Romneya Drive
Anaheim, CA 92801-1819
Dear Trustees,
Back to School Tour 2023
As the new school year gets underway, CFT’s elected leaders will once again take part in a Back to School tour with visits happening across the state. The tour window will open in August and continue throughout September, with CFT leaders taking the opportunity to meet with local leaders and rank-and-file members to kick off the year.
The visits will be attended by President Jeff Freitas, Secretary Treasurer Lacy Barnes and Executive Vice President Juan Ramirez.
Following healthcare victory, CFT pursuing new legislative agenda in Sacramento
Following up on our major healthcare victory last year, this year CFT is moving forward in its legislative efforts to improve part-time faculty working conditions and job opportunities.
CFT-sponsored bills pass first house of Legislature, move on to second
Legislative Update
June 2, 2023 marked the legislative deadline for each California legislative house to pass bills that are introduced in that house. The CFT started the year off with eight sponsored bills, and co-sponsored an additional nine bills. Each bill must pass through a policy committee(s), and the appropriations committee if the bill has significant cost, before being passed off the floor.
Governor’s Proposed State Budget for 2023-24
Research Brief
Governor Newsom started off the 2023-24 budget process on January 10 with a $223.6 billion proposal. Facing lower revenues than expected last year and a budget deficit projected at $22.5 billion by the Department of Finance, the January budget proposal is cautionary. Since the 2022-23 enacted budget anticipated a different budgetary landscape and included significant one-time expenditures, the governor’s initial proposal includes few cuts to education and does not draw on the available rainy-day reserves. Protecting education funding, the proposal also fully funds the statutory COLA, which is estimated at 8.13% at this time.
CFT to sponsor essential legislation for 2023-2024 legislative session
Legislative Update
INTRODUCTION
With the 2023-2024 California Legislative Session beginning, the CFT will be engaging in a new environment at the state Capitol. With several education champions reaching their term limits, and a large sector of the legislative staff turning over, the Legislative Department will be focusing on building new relationships with newly-elected legislators and their staff.
CFT-sponsored wealth tax introduced in California Assembly
Part of coordinated effort with seven other states
In a concerted effort with seven other states, yesterday CFT President Jeff Freitas and Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San José) reintroduced a tax on extreme wealth in California as AB 259 and an accompanying proposed constitutional amendment, ACA 3.