SACRAMENTO, CA – State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) issued the following statement after the Governor’s announcement on his May revised budget which includes $492 million in funding to areas affected by historic flooding in the Central Valley and Tulare Lake Basin:

"I extend my gratitude to Governor Newsom for his revised budget proposal today, which included $492 million to support emergency preparedness and recovery in response to this year’s historic flooding. I am committed to advocating for this funding’s inclusion in the final draft of the state budget and will work with my colleagues in the Legislature to ensure that the flood impacted communities of the Central Valley are safe from future flooding. The proposed funding will make an important difference as continued snowmelt causes waterways throughout the Central Valley to continue rising and endangering our economic recovery efforts, which is why my highest priority this legislative session will be ensuring that this much needed funding is included in this year’s state budget.”

The Governor’s May revision of the budget, which will be announced Friday, invests $290 million in new flood proposals:

• $125 million to support preparedness, response and recovery related to the 2023 storms;
• $75 million to support local flood control projects;
• $25 million to expand the current California Small Agricultural Business Drought Relief Grant Program to provide direct assistance to eligible agriculture-related businesses that have been affected by the recent storms;
• $25 million for potential additional disaster relief and response costs in this fiscal year to address immediate impacts;
• $40 million for the San Joaquin Floodplain restoration

As we have seen firsthand, the damage inflicted on the region by the recent historic weather conditions is devastating, with state officials reporting a water level rise of over 200% in the Tulare Lake Basin, and the largest snowpack on record since 1950.

“The Governor’s additional announcement that the state will fund raising the Corcoran Levee in the Tulare Basin, which is essential to protecting the residents of the City of Corcoran and the safety of the correctional workers, support staff at the California State Prison, Corcoran and the nearby California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility is noteworthy. Finally, it is also important to recognize the ongoing efforts of Cal-OES, Cal-Fire, and all other state agencies who have been involved in providing aid to the Central Valley in addition to providing timely updates on waterway infrastructure, road closures, and flood conditions.”

Senator Melissa Hurtado currently represents the 16th Senate District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Kern Counties. Hurtado is Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, and a member of the Environmental Quality, Health, Human Services, and Natural Resources and Water Committees, and Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies. 

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