Caucus News
SACRAMENTO – The California Legislative Jewish Caucus issued the following statement after the California Democratic Party Convention was shut down by anti-Israel protesters. The Jewish Caucus is co-chaired by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco):
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus released a letter — signed by all 18 members of the Caucus — calling on University of California President Michael V. Drake and California State University Chancellor Mildred García to act to counter the wave of antisemitic incidents sweeping their campuses since Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7.
Jewish Caucus Applauds Additional Funding to Protect Vulnerable Communities Amid Surge in Mideast Violence
Governor Newsom Announces $30 Million in Additional State Funds to Support Communities Threatened by Hate-Motivated Violence
SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D - Encino), Senator Scott Wiener (D - San Francisco), and Senator Josh Becker (D - Menlo Park), released the following statement on behalf of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus:
With antisemitic incidents spiking in California, Jewish advocates for increased funding for the state’s nonprofit security grant program were bracing for the worst, given the state’s $30 billion budget deficit. But when Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had cut the program in his original budget proposal, signed the state’s annual budget bill on Monday, Jewish leaders were guardedly optimistic at the outcome.
The 2024 budget commits $20 million to the state’s nonprofit security grant program — nearly $30 million less than last year’s funding level, and far below the $80 million sought by Jewish community activists during their advocacy day in Sacramento in May.
“Would I have preferred to have $50 million again? Of course I would. But given the real budgetary constraints that we were facing this year, I think this is a good outcome,” California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat who chairs the Legislative Jewish Caucus, told Jewish Insider, noting that “a lot of programs were completely zeroed out.”