State Budget Update:  June 13, 2018
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2018-19 State Budget Update

Last Friday, Governor Jerry Brown and legislative leaders struck a $200 billion budget deal that included some big steps forward for food access, while leaving other  critical proposals unfunded.

State leaders neglected to prioritize child health and nutrition by rejecting two proposals that CFPA has been championing: Funding Food With Care, and Investing in School Breakfast.

We are heartened that the Budget Deal is expected to create the California Fruit & Vegetable EBT Pilot- see below to take action to ensure this is included! 

The outcomes of other major budget campaigns met mixed success, with some big wins and other missed opportunities.

The Budget Deal neglected proposals that would have expanded access to health care and EITC to undocumented Californians. The Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund was also left out of the deal, though negotiations are still underway through the summer. No new investments were made in healthcare at all.

In terms of progress, the Budget Deal is expected to include:
  • Reversal of the CalFresh SSI Cash-Out Policy
  • CalWORKS Grant Increases
  • EITC Expansion
  • Homelessness response funding
See below for more detailed info on CFPA's budget campaigns. Stay tuned for a State Budget analysis in respect to food access once budget negotiations are final.

Contact: Tracey Patterson  at 510.433.1122 x 101 

Take Action!  Tell Governor Brown that Healthy Food Affordability is a Priority

Join us in calling on the Governor to approve the Legislature's one-time $9 million  investment in the California Fruit & Vegetable EBT Pilot to increase market access to affordable, California-grown produce .

These funds will be used to upgrade the CalFresh EBT system to allow for dollar-for dollar matching CalFresh benefits upon the purchase of California-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The pilot will be implemented and evaluated in multiple California communities at different types of retailers, including grocery stores and farmers' markets.

It only takes a minute to make your voice heard. Once you've taken action, spread the word! 

Let the Governor know you support the California Fruit & Vegetable EBT Pilot.  Call, tweet and email your support! 

Access phone call script, sample emails and social media posts.  PDF

Contact: Tracey Patterson  at 510.433.1122 x 101
Legislature Fails to Make Key Investments in Child Nutrition

The 2018-19 Budget Conference Committee's state budget deal neglected to fund two important child nutrition priorities: improved nutrition in child care and expanding Breakfast After the Bell. 

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Advocates Disappointed that the Legislature Did Not Fund Food with Care

CFPA is deeply disappointed that because of today's budget deal, the state's child care providers will continue to be shut out from critical funding that would help them put healthy food on the table for children with the greatest need.

Read CFPA's full response to the Budget Conference Committee's failure to prioritize Funding Food with Care. 

We are prepared to continue advocating to restore this important and critical funding under the next administration. We hope you will j oin us on June 12th for a call to discuss what this means for the campaign to #FundFoodWithCare moving forward. Details and call-in information can be found here.

Food with Care contact: Melissa Cannon at 510.433.1122 x102

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Missed Opportunity: No Funding for Breakfast After the Bell

While the Assembly Subcommittee on Education Finance had approved $1 million in funding to extend Breakfast After the Bell Grants prioritized for high-poverty schools and chronic absenteeism, the Senate did not recommend a similar investment.

Ultimately, the Conference Committee went with the Senate recommendation to let the Breakfast After the Bell funding expire.

Unfortunately, the conference budget deal will allow the California Department of Education's successful Breakfast After the Bell Grant program to come to a close at the end of this month.

CFPA looks forward to future opportunities to improve access to school breakfast to support student health and well-being, and to improve attendance and academic achievement.


Invest in Breakfast After the Bell contact: Tracey Patterson at 510.433.1122 x 101