Low-income Californians to receive new COVID stimulus checks - Los Angeles Times

Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they have agreed to provide low-income Californians a $600 state stimulus payment to help them weather financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, part of a $9.6-billion economic recovery package that also includes $2.1 billion in grants for small businesses.

The “Golden State stimulus” payments provided under the state proposal, which will be expedited for legislative approval next week, are in addition to the $600-per-person stimulus checks already approved by Congress and would be on top of direct payments of up to $1,400 per person that have been proposed by House Democrats.

“As we continue to fight the pandemic and recover, I’m grateful for the Legislature’s partnership to provide urgent relief and support for California families and small businesses where it’s needed most,” Newsom said in a statement announcing the expedited relief package with Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood).

Aside from the federal funds for child-care assistance, the rest of the relief package comes from state taxpayer money and is made possible by tax revenue collections that were much better than expected.

The new relief package comes a few weeks after the Legislature and governor fast-tracked approval of an extension of protections against evictions through June for tenants who pay part of their rent.

The relief package provides a $600 one-time grant to households enrolled in the CalWORKS public assistance program and recipients of supplemental security income and the state’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants program.

The state stimulus will provide needed help to the poorest Californians, but more assistance is required, said Courtney McKinney, a spokeswoman for the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders said the grants will help small businesses survive during the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

tens of thousands of additional small businesses, nonprofit and cultural centers grants from $5,000 to $25,000,” Newsom said during a news conference Wednesday

The grant proposal, which requires approval by the Legislature, builds on a $500-million program that has provided 21,000 small businesses with financial help since December, Newsom said

Senate Republican leader Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita, who has been critical of the governor’s handling of the pandemic, said financial assistance to small businesses had previously been proposed by Republican legislators

“Throughout the pandemic, efforts to provide small businesses with much-needed assistance have fallen short,” Wilk said, adding that in the proposal announced Wednesday “we have a bipartisan solution to help California’s small businesses decimated by the governor’s ever-changing COVID policies.”

State leaders said they also agreed to restore funding for the Cal State and UC systems, the judiciary, Child Support Services and moderate-income housing that had been targeted for cuts next year before additional funding came from the federal government