Senate Budget Vice-Chair Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama) issued the following statement on the governor’s budget proposal:
“The Rainy Day fund must be maintained for emergencies, not ongoing spending.
“I agree with the governor’s budget approach that ensures we are prepared for the expected economic downturn.
“The governor has, along with the Republicans, opted to hold the line on our spending. We cannot be getting loose with the purse in California.
"This budget, however, continues to ignore our long term infrastructure priorities like more water storage and repairing our dilapidated roadways. The time has come to abandon ill-conceived, costly ideas like high speed rail and the twin tunnels. The people of California deserve more fiscal responsibility from their leaders.
"Republicans have offered many fiscally responsible proposals to address these critical infrastructure needs. I urge my Democratic colleagues to act prudently as we navigate this year's budget process.
“What will our economy be doing? And how do we bring in revenues? We’ve got to examine the regulatory and the economic deterrents for businesses in California. And much of what has happened here has discouraged our business growth.”
