Governor Releases May Revise State Budget Proposal Summary

This morning, Governor Newsom released his May Revise budget proposal summary for the 2024-25 State Budget, which projects a significant remaining State budget deficit of $26.7 billion. At a time when 1 in 4 households with children are food insecure, with deep disparities for Black and Latine households, we underscore the urgent need for California to prioritize ending hunger and systemic poverty in the final 2024-25 State Budget.

Over the last four years since the onset of the devastating COVID-19 Pandemic, we have proven through bold policy and budget investments that hunger is a solvable problem. With Federal investments into CalFresh through Emergency Allotments, launch of EBT pandémica, and expansions of proven programs like the Child Tax Credit and Unemployment Insurance and many more poverty-fighting public policies, we saw childhood poverty fall to historic lows. 

Under Governor Newsom’s leadership, California launched the history-making School Meals for All policy, secured unprecedented investments into the state’s network of food banks, and proudly committed to rolling out the first new Federal entitlement program in decades, SUN Bucks (Summer EBT). We are proud of California’s progress toward ending hunger for the millions of families who struggle to put food on the table today, and are excited to keep building on this momentum at every opportunity. But as we collectively face a strained State Budget, we recognize that this may not be the year for bold new investments or programs. 

While communities all across California see spikes in hunger, we must double down on ensuring that California’s poorest households are centered in the State Budget and not left behind. We are grateful for Governor Newsom’s continued commitment towards supporting California’s food bank network in distributing food every day, in addition to ensuring on-time implementation of SUN Bucks which will provide $120 to 6.8 million children this summer while school is on break. 

However, we are deeply concerned about the cut to the CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefit Pilot, significant proposed cuts to safety-net programs like CalWORKs, in addition to the delayed expansion of the California Food Assistance Program to all Californians 55+, regardless of immigration status. Millions of low-income Californians will experience the real and irreparable consequences of these budget cuts if they are enacted, and we call on the Governor and Legislature to continue working to find budget solutions that do not harm California’s already most vulnerable families. 

Safety-net programs like CalFresh, School Meals, CalWORKs, and SSI/SSP are a lifeline for millions, and thousands of food bankers across the state work tirelessly every day to fill the gaps and ensure that communities are nourished. We stand committed to working with the Governor and Legislature in the coming weeks to ensure that our shared mission of ending hunger remains central during budget negotiations in the weeks ahead.