As a survivor myself, and someone who has made protecting victims of crime a focus of my legislation and work in the Assembly, it has been particularly difficult to hear from organizations throughout our community impacted by the cuts being made to critical programs that offer victim support and services.
The recent cuts to the Department of Justice by the federal administration alone will have devastating impacts to victim services organizations, leading to a decreased capacity to support people who rely on these organizations as a literal lifeline during some of the most difficult times in their lives.
As said in one report, “In the absence of this funding, many programs will be forced to abruptly reduce or cease providing critical services, including crime solving; gun violence prevention; victim services; mental health and substance use services; reentry; and youth support.”
As if that isn’t enough, the same organizations are also impacted by federal layoffs, Medicaid cuts, cuts to free legal aid services that many victims of crime rely on to seek justice, as well as the major shortfall in funding for the Victims of Crime Act.
Given that President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have thus far been unwilling to backfill the VOCA cuts, which would allow many of these organizations to continue operating and support victims of crime, we must take action here in California.
California receives VOCA funds from the federal government to help support programs that provide victims and survivors of crime, abuse, and human trafficking with services like emergency shelter, counseling, and financial assistance.
These are critical tools in protecting victims’ safety and helping them heal and recover. When these funds aren’t provided by the federal government, the only way forward is for the state to close the gap by ensuring these programs are included in the state budget.
I was hopeful that would be the case in California, but because of a multi-billion dollar shortfall, the governor’s May budget revision fails to shore up the sizable gap, leaving victim services organizations uncertain of their ability to offer needed services ongoing.
As said by the California Advocacy Alliance and the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence in response to the governor’s May budget revision, “Without state support to fund what is needed to maintain the current services, thousands of victims will be left without resources to deal with the aftermath of crimes.”
There is still time to change course and backfill the budget to limit the impacts from the lack of VOCA funding.
Several organizations have reached out to our office to share their concerns, including the only domestic violence program in our valley.
Without it, domestic violence victims in our community will end up staying in dangerous relationships, leaving without the needed support, which can put them in even more danger, or getting out and not having the resources they need to rebuild their lives.
Not only will this have an impact on their lives, but many will fall into homelessness, making an already dire crisis worse.
This is why I am leading the budget request in the Assembly to ensure the Assembly’s budget includes backfill funding for the Victims of Crime Act, making a $260 million budget request.
These funds would allow California’s network of victim’s services providers, nonprofits, local governments and law enforcement agencies to keep their doors open for victims for the next five years.
In addition to leading the fight for state funding, and standing up to federal government’s inaction, I am carrying additional legislation to protect and support victims, including the Victim and Witness Protection Act, Safe Leave Protection, Elder Abuse Prevention, Small Business Safety Grant, a Police Pension Tax Exemption bill and more.
We are also doing more work generally to protect the safety of our community, including as a member of the Select Committee on Retail Theft to crack down on smash-and-grabs and theft at the state and local levels.
I am grateful that our work on public safety and protecting victims of crime earned me the support of multiple law enforcement and public safety organizations in my re-election, including the Los Angeles Police Protective League, California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Los Angeles County Firefighters and the California Professional Firefighters.
Working together, we are pulling every lever possible to ensure criminals are held accountable and victims of crime have the support and resources they need.
There are still a little over three weeks until the budget deadline, and victim service organizations and I will keep the pressure on to backfill the federal cuts to VOCA.
And beyond the budget, our work continues to get these victim protection bills all the way to the governor’s desk. Because too many lives depend on it.
Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, represents the 40th Assembly District, which includes most of the Santa Clarita Valley in addition to the northwest San Fernando Valley.
