Blog

The 2025-26 California State Budget has officially passed the legislature!

We need bold, values-driven leadership in California, which has never been more urgent. We are living in the wake of recent ICE raids and the deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines in Los Angeles, which have deeply unsettled immigrant children, students, and families across the state. Schools already see a decline in attendance, as anxiety and fear drive families to keep their children home.

On Friday, the California State Legislature approved its 2025-26 Budget Bill, continuing critical investments in public education even as the state confronts a $12 billion shortfall. The Budget Bill now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom, who has 12 working days to sign or veto it.

We commend the Legislature’s commitment to education and their amendments to protect undocumented immigrants from Newsom’s cuts. And, at CFJ, we believe the California Budget is a statement of our values and priorities as a state. We face federal attacks like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, cuts to Medi-Cal, and ongoing political violence towards communities of color. Within this context, we are disappointed that California legislators hesitate to exercise their power to fund bold and protective policies that uplift and safeguard all Californians.

Here’s our breakdown of the good and the bad:

✅ New Investments in Teachers & English Learners

These investments show that California recognizes what we have known all along: Equitable education starts with the educators and support systems that shape student learning. From boosting literacy for multilingual learners to increasing teacher diversity and preparation, California is beginning to address long-standing gaps in who teaches our students and how they are taught. 

• 📘 Literacy & English Learners, including an investment in literacy coaches in schools, professional development focused on evidence-based reading instruction, especially for multilingual learners, and a new state literacy plan.
• 💼 Teacher Preparation & Professional Development, including an investment in the Golden State Teacher Grant Program.

✅ Whole-Child, Whole-Community Priorities

California is building the foundation our students and families need to thrive. We are meeting student needs beyond the classroom and extending it to meals, extended learning, and universal access to early education. The Budget Bill’s investments in TK-12 include, but are not limited to:

• 🎒 Universal Transitional Kindergarten 
• 🍎 Additional Funding for Free Meals for All Students
• 🏫 TK-6th Grade Expanded Before, After, and Summer Programs

❌ Lack of Bold Safeguards for All Californians

The looming question this budget cycle was whether the legislature would have the courage to reject Governor Newsom’s disturbing rollbacks on funding for undocumented Californians. The short answer? They fell short. The Legislature did not fully reject Newsom’s cuts nor did they expand long-overdue protections for immigrant families. The Legislature sends a troubling message: California’s commitment to defending targeted communities has limits. 

Here’s how the Budget Bill responds to Newsom’s proposals:

• Protects access to care by rejecting Newsom’s proposal to eliminate long-term care and in-home-supportive- services for undocumented adults.
• Modifies the Medi-Cal enrollment freeze, allowing undocumented adults 19 and older to keep enrolling until January 1, 2026. After that, the freeze will begin – but with key protections: no one will “age out” of coverage, and those who lose coverage will have a 6-month grace period to re-enroll.
• Lowers proposed Medi-Cal premiums from $100 to $30 per month for undocumented adults, with the change now delayed until July 1, 2027.
• Postpones dental care cuts for undocumented adults on Medi-Cal until July 2027, keeping this coverage in place for now. 

Why these protections still fall short:

California has a responsibility to step up when the federal government creates a dangerous and unstable environment for our communities. Instead, the state is stepping back. Let’s be clear: delays to cuts may buy time,  but they do not offer real protection, lasting stability, or the message that undocumented Californians truly belong here long-term.

💪 The Work Must Continue

California must do more than protect what exists – it must lead with vision and courage. That means committing to long-term, stable funding for the programs that work, like community schools. It also means ensuring every student, regardless of immigration status, has access to healthcare, safety, and learning environments that embrace their diversity and assets. 

Here’s where the work must continue:

• Sustain community schools by providing ongoing funding for the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), so thousands of schools can deepen their commitment to relationship-centered, racially just education.
• Protect all Californians by rejecting efforts to divide us by immigration status, income, or race. We strongly oppose proposed cuts to Medi-Cal for undocumented Californians, which would harm students, families, and entire school communities.
• Fund public schools equitably and adequately by identifying new, equitable revenue sources and fixing California’s inequitable tax system, without placing the burden on students, low-income families, or undocumented communities.
• Ensure real accountability by improving transparency  and community engagement in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) process, making sure students and families inform how resources are used.

This budget cycle proves that organizing works. But we won’t stop until every young person in California, regardless of status, background, or zip code, attends a school that sees them, supports them, and believes in their future.