The May budget revision had proposed reclaiming the health care funding made possible by the Proposition 56 tobacco tax, and instead using it to address the looming $54 billion budget deficit.

The Senate and Assembly crafted a spending plan that assumes increased federal funding support and enacts a set of funding mechanisms to be implemented in the event federal assistance doesn’t materialize, rather than cutting programs. The Legislature’s plan would fully restore Proposition 56 to support increasing access to care, including the funding for existing supplemental payments and future loan repayment cohorts.

Urge the Governor to act in favor of a budget plan that preserves access to care, and REJECTS the repurposing of Prop. 56 tobacco tax revenue.