Gov. Gavin Newsom used his daily coronavirus briefing Thursday to outline an austerity budget with deep cuts to cover a massive $54.3 billion deficit.
Newsom's proposal includes major cuts to environmental programs, including a $681 million slash in spending for environmental protection compared to last year, and a $224 million cut to the state’s natural resources department.
The governor, however, is sticking to a commitment to additional funds for fighting wildfires and is proposing an increase of $90 million for wildfire suppression and readiness.
The budget revision is a far cry from the proposal released in January, when California projected a $5.6 billion surplus and Newsom wanted to spend billions of dollars on new environmental initiatives, including a much-celebrated $20 million for a new state park, the first in a decade.
Newsom also wanted to spend $12.5 billion over five years to fight climate change by curbing carbon emissions and building the state's resilience to wildfires, floods and drought.
When asked about the reduction in spending related to the environment, Newsom said cuts to the state Environmental Protection Agency and Natural Resources Agency were necessary. However, he left himself room to negotiate with lawmakers.