A few takeaways from California’s $215 billion budget

Despite speculation about bold moves -- in a far left direction, even for this blue state -- Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats actually landed a budget Thursday that's surgical about new taxing and spending while still keeping promises to help poor Californians and working families.

Under the $214.8 billion spending plan, the state inched closer to universal health coverage, expanding Medi-Cal to all low-income young adults regardless of immigration status. State lawmakers also boosted subsidies to middle-income Californians to buy health coverage. There were significant investments in early education.

Here's a few things to know about California's new budget:

Health care

The Legislature agreed to the governor's plan to expand Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program for low-income people, to young adults ages 19-25. It's a step toward offering free health care to all undocumented adults since the state already makes Medi-Cal available to children regardless of immigration status.

The Senate had proposed going further by offering Medi-Cal to undocumented seniors 65 and older. However, none of the leaders backed offering health care to all low-income immigrants.

The state expects an estimated 90,000 young adults could gain coverage when the benefit begins next year. Already, 76,000 have registered for a limited version of Medi-Cal that covers emergency services and prenatal care available to low-income people regardless of immigration status. The price tag for this expansion? About $98 million a year.

It's worth noting the state also affirmed its commitment to restoring optional Medi-Cal benefits. During the recession, coverage for audiology, optical, podiatry, speech therapy and incontinence creams had been taken away.

State mandate

Starting next year, California will join New Jersey, Vermont and the District of Columbia in requiring residents to carry health coverage or face a $695 state penalty -- a fine that will go up each year with inflation.

The state individual mandate aims to replace the federal one that Republicans repealed in their effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. The administration says California needs to act because without a mandate, the number of Californians without coverage -- 10.4 percent in 2016 -- will go back up. Separately, a study conducted by the University of California estimated the uninsurance rate will rise to 12.9 percent by 2023, or 4.4 million people, without state action.

Money raised from the penalties, about $450 million over three years, will be used to give bigger subsidies to those who purchase private insurance through the state's health coverage exchange, Covered California.

Newsom and lawmakers hope to expand assistance to 190,000 middle-income Californians making between $48,000 to $72,000 a year, according to Health Access California, a health advocacy group.

Public schools

As required by law, the lion's share of the budget goes to public schools, with nearly $102 billion in state money to be pumped into California classrooms and community colleges, plus another $389 million in a special reserve fund for schools. Though the figure is an all-time high, California is still viewed as lagging in per-pupil spending, in part because of the high cost of living.

Democrats are also demanding more stringent oversight of charter schools, which can operate like private schools, tend to be non-union and have proliferated in big cities such as Oakland and Los Angeles. Newsom proposed prohibiting charter schools from blocking or disenrolling special-education students who require more support for disabilities. Lawmakers readily embraced that change.

The budget includes $300 million to build more kindergarten classrooms in an effort to boost full-day kindergarten programs. Newsom had initially proposed $750 million, but that was reduced after a study found most part-day kindergarten programs are in wealthier communities.

After-school programs will get a $50 million boost to the $600 million or so the state is currently spending. The money will help cover the cost of minimum wage increases enacted during Brown's tenure.

Early education

In emphasizing early education, Newsom and lawmakers agreed to expand day care and preschool slots by the thousands while investing in training for child care providers.

Newsom gets $50 million in seed money to start child savings accounts for college and post-secondary education. He initially asked that all of it go toward pilot projects with First 5 California and local governments, but the Legislature is designating $25 million. The other $25 million will create a state program with the Scholarshare program in the Treasurer's Office.

Higher education

Newsom and legislators delivered on a $45 million promise to fund a second year of tuition-free community college for first-time, full-time students at campuses participating in the state's College Promise program.

Other big winners include students with children, who will be eligible to receive grants of up to $6,000 to help cover their families' living expenses. The budget boosts by about 15,000 the number of competitive Cal Grants -- a significant jump, but far less than the 400,000 qualified students who applied for the state scholarships last year and didn't receive them.

The University of California and California State University will receive money to increase enrollment, and waive tuition during the summer to help low-income students graduate faster. Lawmakers also set aside funds for campuses to combat hunger and homelessness, strengthen veterans resource centers, and provide more mental health counseling. A center at the University of California, San Francisco, is getting a $3.5 million earmark for dyslexia screening and early intervention.

Backers of the state's controversial new online community college fended off an effort to slash the college's funding, clearing the way to enroll its first class this fall. And CSU will get $4 million to study five possible locations for a new campus: Stockton, Chula Vista, San Mateo, Concord and Palm Desert.

CALmatters reporters Matt Levin, Felicia Mello and Laurel Rosenhall contributed to this report.

CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

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