Lawmakers discuss governor's proposed budget cuts

(The Center Square) – During a discussion Wednesday about projected federal budget cuts, lawmakers in Sacramento said they would push back on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to reduce funding to programs that millions of Californians rely on, such as food assistance and Medi-Cal. Budget reductions instituted by the federal government’s 2025 budget resolution, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, are projected to cost just CalFresh and Medi-Cal an estimated $32.3 billion each year – $30 billion from Medi-Cal and $2.3 billion from CalFresh, according to the California Health & Human Services Agency and California Association of Food Banks. CalFresh is the state's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Medi-Cal is California's version of Medicaid. As members of legislative budget subcommittees discuss how much money to allocate, proposals were debated on Wednesday that would see less state taxpayer revenue pay for social services progr