SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s State of the State address, Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) issued the following statement:
“Today, the Governor delivered a lot of confident words, but Californians are looking for something simpler: results. Families are dealing with the consequences of years of mismanagement under one party rule resulting in higher costs, broken promises, and billions in spending with little to show for it.
“The Governor can celebrate his agenda all he wants, but you can’t spin away what people see every day. Homelessness is worsening after tens of billions spent, small businesses are still paying for government overregulation, and the affordability crisis keeps pushing families to the edge.
“California has swung from a historic surplus to an $18 billion budget deficit. That didn’t happen by accident. Years of unchecked spending, borrowing, and budget gimmicks have caught up to us, and Californians are once again being asked to pay the price. The are paying more, getting less, and they’re tired of being told everything is fine.
“We should be focusing on what actually improves quality of life: lowering the cost of living, reducing housing costs, addressing the insurance crisis that’s pricing families out of their homes, improving public safety, and demanding real oversight so taxpayer dollars aren’t wasted. Californians don’t need another glossy narrative, they need accountability.”
The Real State of the State:
Worsening Homelessness: After spending more than $37 billion over six years, homelessness continues to worsen statewide, with little accountability or transparency on where the money went or whether it worked.
Broken Housing Promises: The Governor promised 3.5 million new homes, yet construction has declined and homeownership is further out of reach for working families.
Nation’s Highest Gas Prices: Californians pay the highest gas prices in the nation, averaging about $4.25 per gallon, roughly $1.40 higher than the national average, driven by state taxes, fees, and regulatory policies.
Insurance Crisis: Policy failures and insufficient wildfire prevention have driven insurers out of the state, leaving families with canceled policies, unaffordable premiums, or the state’s insurer of last resort, which now covers nearly three times the number of homes it did in 2019.
Failure to Fully Fund Proposition 36: Despite nearly 70% voter approval, the Governor has refused to fully fund Prop. 36, undermining voter intent and public safety.
Bad for Business: During the pandemic, California had a record surplus but chose not to pay down its federal unemployment insurance debt. It instead added nearly $20 billion more, forcing businesses to pay it back through higher taxes and fees.