NE Sacramento News

The Education Subcommittee recently convened to discuss the Department of Education's mishandling of the $500 million Golden State Pathways Program. The program is designed to promote educational pathways for high school students leading to high-paying jobs in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and education. It surfaced that department leadership was unaware of the program's implementation failures until two years after the funding was approved. An official noted, "it was a failure; it was a perfect storm of everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong." Senator Ochoa Bogh remarked on the complexities faced by Local Education Agencies, especially rural ones, in navigating the application process.

In the Health and Human Services Subcommittee, the discussion focused on altering the state's funding formula for juvenile justice programs. Senator Shannon Grove advocated for a balanced approach, recognizing the impact of untreated childhood trauma on youth violence while emphasizing public safety. She suggested enhanced state oversight of county spending and detailed reporting on program outcomes. The subcommittee plans to vote on the new formula later this spring.

The State Administration and General Government Subcommittee declined the Governor's $5 million funding request for a "Belonging Campaign," intended to research loneliness. Senator Roger Niello questioned prioritizing such a program amid budget deficits and stressed the need for funds in housing and homelessness programs. The administration highlighted research necessity to define loneliness, but the lack of clear outcome metrics led to the proposal's rejection.

Lastly, the issue of the California High-Speed Rail Project was addressed by the Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation Subcommittee. The project's cost has escalated from an initial $33 billion to $128 billion, and it is currently $100 billion short of the needed funds to complete construction. Initially planned to commence operations in 2020, it is now delayed until at least 2034, with the first trains serving only the Central Valley. The lack of private investment continues to be a notable concern.