New River, Salton Sea Remain in Budget

SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature voted to approve and send to Gov. Newsom its 2020 state budget proposal.  While the fiscal impact of the ongoing pandemic threatened the overall budget outlook, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) said in a news release that the Legislature’s budget framework continued to include funding for his district priorities of the New River and Salton Sea.

“As a state, this pandemic has left us facing difficult choices in the budget prceoss. Despite numerous fiscal challenges, the Legislature has acknowledged our district’s persistent advocacy as well as the public health, economic, and environmental urgency of the New River and Salton Sea projects,” Garcia said in a statement.

In active coordination with regional partners, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia has focused the full might of his legislative advocacy towards the Salton Sea and New River. Their ability to maintain funding for both these projects despite COVID-19 budget challenges is a testament to the success of these collaborations and the state’s good faith efforts to fulfill their obligation.

In the Legislature’s budget plan, the New River Improvement Project in Calexico would still receive $18,000,000 from the general fund and $10,000,000 from Proposition 68 to commence with clean up. The Salton Sea North Lake Project has been allocated $19,250,000 of Proposition 68 funds.

Garcia went on to say, “Circumstances surrounding this year’s budget process has been far from ideal and there are still many more difficult decisions ahead but my colleagues and I have demonstrated our commitment to protect safety net programs and prioritize investments for our most vulnerable.”

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Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) serves as the chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife.  He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland.