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Gavin Newsom and Top Democrats Are Deciding California’s Budget Behind Closed Doors

SACRAMENTO OBSERVER — Despite ongoing negotiations over undisclosed provisions, Democratic lawmakers voted to adopt their version of the spending plan because they must pass a balanced budget by midnight Saturday in order to get paid. The bill passed by a vote of 29-8 in the Senate and 59-14 in the Assembly, along largely partisan lines.
The post Gavin Newsom and Top Democrats Are Deciding California’s Budget Behind Closed Doors first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 year ago

June 16, 2024

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By Alexei Koseff, CalMatters | Sacramento Observer

(CALMATTERS) – After legislative leaders failed to reach an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom about how to close California’s projected multibillion-dollar deficit, the Legislature passed a placeholder state budget , just ahead of a mandatory deadline.

With only a few weeks left until the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, both sides refuse to publicly discuss what specific issues are holding up a deal.

Newsom’s office did not respond to an inquiry about remaining differences with the Legislature that still need to be worked out. Representatives for Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, who are in charge of negotiating with the governor, declined to make them available to the media after their members approved a spending plan that almost certainly will not be the actual budget.

“There’s a shared set of priorities,” Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat who leads the Assembly budget committee, told reporters following the vote. “It’s more about what are the most effective solutions, what are the programs and services that we think are the best way to go forward versus others.”

His counterpart on the Senate budget committee — Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat — did not respond to an interview request.

Newsom presented a plan last month to address what his administration estimates is a remaining funding shortfall of $56 billion over the next two years, including by dipping into reserve accounts, deferring school funding, eliminating government jobs and cutting or delaying money for infrastructure, health and climate programs.

Democratic leaders in the Legislature, where the party holds supermajorities in both houses, released a counterproposal a few weeks later. Among the major discrepancies is a push for more substantial reductions to prison funding to reverse some of Newsom’s proposed cuts to college scholarships for middle-income students, public health programs, subsidized child care slots and housing development.

The governor and the Legislature must also decide whether to repurpose billions of dollars that were earmarked to increase payments for health care providers who treat low-income patients, as Newsom has suggested, and whether to further delay minimum wage increases for health care workers, which could potentially save the state billions of dollars but faces strong opposition from unions.

Gabriel defended the process as “exceptionally transparent,” pointing to dozens of legislative budget hearings in which he said “there’s been a very public vetting of these issues” and “opportunities for Californians to weigh in.” He said he did not think any of the final solutions would come as a surprise.

“I think Californians have a good understanding of what the major issues are that are at stake in this process,” he said.

Despite ongoing negotiations over undisclosed provisions, Democratic lawmakers voted to adopt their version of the spending plan because they must pass a balanced budget by midnight Saturday in order to get paid. The bill passed by a vote of 29-8 in the Senate and 59-14 in the Assembly, along largely partisan lines.

Republicans criticized the proposal as out of touch with Californians’ needs. They raised objections to provisions pausing some tax deductions for businesses to raise additional revenue and reversing previous commitments on expanded health care spending. Several members called out the inclusion of billions of dollars for the state’s troubled high-speed rail project and to expand health care access for undocumented immigrants while other programs are cut.

“This is a shameful budget,” Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, a Rancho Santa Margarita Republican, said during floor debate. “This budget is heartless, it’s divisive and it’s completely detached from the reality and the struggles that Californians are actually facing.”

The post Gavin Newsom and Top Democrats Are Deciding California’s Budget Behind Closed Doors first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

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June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

23 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”