Senator Jim Nielsen, R-Red Bluff, issued the following statement in response to Governor Newsom’s proposed 2022-23 State Budget:

 

“Governor Newsom needs to wake up on water storage. There is an urgent need to fully-fund and immediately build large above-ground water storage projects like Sites Reservoir, and his proposed budget falls billions of dollars short. Groundwater recharge and conservation, while important, simply aren’t enough.

 

“As the state continues to face devastating wildfires that destroy lives, property and wildlife, the governor’s budget proposes $1.2 billion for forest health and fire prevention. Republicans have advocated for these efforts for decades. I’m glad that the Governor is slowly coming around on prevention, though much more needs to be done. 

 

“Dangerous people are not in custody and the people of California don’t feel safe. This budget proposal takes a few steps but doesn’t sufficiently address the need to support law enforcement.

 

“The state budget has a $21 billion surplus, so there’s no reason to not provide enough money to fund these critical priorities.” 

 

Link to the Senate Republican’s letter to Governor Newsom outlining their critical budget priorities.