Assembly Democrats Seek Money for Child Care, Affordable Housing

When Gov. Jerry Brown released his revised budget proposal in May, he warned he’s going to be tough on new spending proposals. The Assembly Democratic Caucus says its proposal, released Wednesday, remains balanced and puts $2 billion into the rainy day fund.

That proposal includes $650 million for affordable housing programs -- an amount Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon acknowledges is about half of the housing funds the Democratic Caucus originally wanted.

"The revenue projections over the past few months weren’t what we though they were," he says. "And we also had other competing interests within the caucus."

One of those was the desire to fund more state-subsidized child care and preschool. The Assembly wants $600 million for those programs. Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy quoted Frederick Douglass while explaining the need for more child care funding.

"It’s much more easy to build a child than to fix a broken man or woman," he says. "I think the Assembly package follows that piece firsthand."

The Assembly proposal reallocates over several years $1.5 billion the governor had proposed spending on state buildings. It also uses the higher-property tax estimates put forward by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office.

The Senate is working on its version of the budget. The Legislature must pass a final bill by June 15.