For climate advocates, the growing state deficit unveiled in the revised 2023-24 state budget offers some bad news, some good news and a great deal of uncertainty. The bad news in the budget presented Friday morning by Gov. Gavin Newsom is that, despite lobbying efforts and environmentalists pitching at least two alternative proposals, the $6 billion in cuts to climate spending that Newsom proposed in January are still included. If those multi-year cuts stand it will mean significant hits to funding that previously was pledged to help speed California’s transition to non-polluting cars, clean up the water supply, decarbonize buildings and protect residents against the increasingly dire effects of extreme heat. … The storms also prompted Newsom in this revised budget to allocate $290 million to pay for flood prevention programs needed as record snowpack melts in the summer.

Related articles: 

• Sacramento Bee: In a reduced climate budget, Newsom pivots to flood response and cuts drought
• CA Water Research: California Water Research analysis - Proposed state investments inadequate to address increase in catastrophic flood risk
• Community Water Center blog: Governor retains most funding for water and wastewater investments, with no mention of affordability crisis