With revenues rising in California, some lawmakers are calling for more spending services like child care, family leave and welfare. Democratic Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson is chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus.
“This is the future of California. We need these children to be well cared for. We need to make sure they get the best education possible," she says. "We need to make sure that our women in the work force are paid a fair and reasonable wage to overcome what we know is an income inequality."
Through executive action President Barrack Obama has given six weeks of paid family leave to federal employees. Jackson says California should consider improving its leave policy.
"We have very poor family leave policies, maternity leave in particular," she says. "We’re the only developed nation in the world that has no paid family leave requirements. So we have a lot of work to do."
Other Democratic proposals include expanding state subsidized child care and repealing a limit on welfare assistance some children can receive.
Governor Jerry Brown's administration and the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office say most of the new revenue must legally go to education, leaving little for new spending.
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