Let’s be honest — this wasn’t an easy budget cycle. Uncertainty from the federal level, looming cuts and divisive rhetoric cast a long shadow. But here in Assembly District 40, I will always make the choice to prioritize people over politics. This budget reflects the values I hear about every day from all of you — affordability, public safety and protecting health care access.
In a time when affordability is out of reach for too many and safety concerns weigh heavily on our communities, I fought hard to make sure our district’s voice was heard in budget negotiations. Throughout the months of budget negotiations, I stood up for kids and families, veterans, survivors, and seniors — because we cannot afford not to.
I’m proud to share that we secured key victories that will deliver real, tangible relief for families.
To be clear, this budget is not perfect. I disagreed with some of the cuts and decisions made. But we also made important progress for our community and state, especially on safety and affordability.
Keeping Our Communities Safe
First and foremost, we continued to prioritize safety and security.
We took an important step toward defending and funding Proposition 36, an initiative approved by voters last November to increase penalties for crime and theft.
This first-time funding provides substance use and behavioral health treatment, funds the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and more.
While this funding falls short of fully funding Prop. 36, which I strongly pushed for in a budget request letter, this initial investment gets us moving in the right direction — and I’ll keep fighting for more.
Importantly, because of funding cuts by the federal government, we also secured $100 million in funding to protect Victims of Crime Act programs. Survivors of violent crimes, including human trafficking and domestic violence, will continue to have access to critical mental health care, emergency housing and support services because of this funding.
These programs are lifelines and it was a top priority for me to ensure when someone reaches out in desperate need of support and protection, there is someone to answer the call.
Defunding them was never an option I’d be willing to accept.
And for our kids, we secured support for youth mental health services, which means schools will now have help retaining staff who provide essential behavioral health support for our students as we continue to face a youth mental health crisis.
Making California More Affordable
This budget also delivers major tax relief and economic investments for families, veterans, seniors, and more. Veterans will now see up to $20,000 of their military pensions exempt from state taxes — a long overdue recognition of their service and sacrifice.
We also protected entertainment jobs by expanding the Film Tax Credit — preserving California’s role as a global hub for film and media and protecting the good union jobs that come with it.
So many in our district work in the entertainment industry, so protecting those jobs — ensuring they stay right here in California and attempting to bring back those who left already — is critical.
When our neighbors near the Chiquita Canyon Landfill were hit with disaster, they didn’t just need emergency response — they needed long-term relief. A major victory, and new development, is inserting Assembly Bill 27, the Chiquita Canyon Tax Relief Act, into the budget.
This means we are bringing financial relief directly to those suffering from the toxic air released at the burning landfill by exempting their disaster assistance or settlements from being taxed or used against them when applying for state programs like Medi-Cal and CalFresh.
Child care remains critical for a thriving economy, and this budget invests another $128 million in support for child care centers and also increases wages for providers — because parents can’t get to work if they don’t have someone to trust with their kids.
And we protected seniors and people with disabilities by rejecting a proposed asset test for Medi-Cal that would’ve stripped life-saving health care from thousands for something as simple as having a second family car.
What Comes Next
Much of this budget is a win — but our work is far from over. Relief doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t reach every household. That’s why I’ll continue to fight to ensure these investments translate into real change, from safer communities, to a more affordable California for everyone, to increased access to care.
This year, we said yes to protecting our community on the issues that matter most. We said yes to investing in our kids, our veterans, our seniors, and our working families. And we said no to false choices that pit our values against our budgets.
That’s the kind of leadership our community deserves. That’s the kind of future we’re building — together.
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. “Democratic Voices” appears Tuesdays and rotates among local Democrats.
