Bringing A Voice of Conscience To California's State Legislature Since 1952
State Budget Advocacy
California's state budget is a statement of our values.
Every year between January and June 15 the governor and the Legislature negotiate the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year. And every year, FCLCA weighs in to bring your voice into the process.
January 9, 2026: Gov. Newsom releases proposed FY26-27 state budget.
In the budget process for FY2026-27, FCLCA is advocating for -
A rollback of last year’s FY2025-26 Budget cuts impacting undocumented Californians regardless of immigration status, specifically rolling back
- The January 2026 enrollment freeze for undocumented adults
- The removal of adult dental as a covered benefit for individuals with “Unsatisfactory Immigration Status” (UIS) starting in July 2026
- The mandatory $30 monthly premium for adults with UIS, ages 19-59, starting in July 2027
A rejection of Gov. Newsom’s most recent January Budget Proposal’s cuts impacting immigrant communities including:
- Stripping 200,000 humanitarian immigrants, including asylees and refugees, of full scope Medi-Cal and limiting them to emergency medical support only and subjecting all undocumented Californians to onerous work requirements beyond what federal law requires.
- A rejection of proposed cuts to the In-Home Supportive Services Program, including the proposal to eliminate the IHSS Back-Up Provider System and a shift of state IHSS spending to counties.
FCLCA is supporting:
- Additional prison closures
- $20m for RIGHT Grant funding - funding for community-based programs inside state prisons.
- $40m for the Jails to Jobs pilot program, which would include workforce development in pretrial diversion programs.
- A proposed $44.9m, with additional funding to transition the Adult Reentry Grant program to the Department of Housing and Community Development- to provide rental assistance and reentry services for those who were incarcerated.
- FCLCA Joined housing advocates in asking for a $2.8b investment in affordable housing and homelessness programs.
- An additional $50m for deportation defense.
- $30m in dedicated funds for outreach to low-wage and immigrant workers through the CWOP program to advise them of rights and benefits under California law.
- Expanding the California Food Assistance Program with $89.6m in one time funding to mitigate devastating federal cuts to nutrition programs.
- Support for California Food Banks of $110m to meet the food crisis.
- $1.87b in funding for School Meals for All, $100m for Kitchen Infrastructure and Training, $25.2m ongoing for the Farm to School Grant program, and $14.3m for California’s Healthy School Food Pathway program.
Read more about the state budget process here: California Budget and Policy Center Budget Academy