Gavin Newsom proposed a blizzard of new spending in his first budget, calling for increased expenditures on education, homelessness and poverty, as well as programs to bolster California’s long-term fiscal health. Mr. Newsom’s new spending plans take advantage of a growing surplus he projects for the state. The governor laid out his plans on Thursday, his fourth day on the job, in a two-hour presentation, reading from notes scribbled on a legal pad and fielding often detailed questions. At one point, apparently speaking extemporaneously as he walked across a stage, Mr. Newsom offered state financial assistance for workers furloughed in the partial shutdown of the federal government — a huge community of workers in this state. “Any of those federal employees who are furloughed, come in and we’ll get you unemployment insurance,” he said.

Source: New York Times January 11, 2019 00:36 UTC