Amid the summer lull of browns and grays, the tuxedoed Black Phoebe stands out—active, distinctive and ever-present—embodying Riverside’s resilience and charm year‑round.
State Senator Sabrina Cervantes released a statement Monday regarding the enactment of the 2025-26 state budget, highlighting investments in wildfire prevention, childcare expansion and homelessness services.
State Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside), who represents Senate District 31 encompassing Riverside and surrounding Inland Empire communities, issued a statement Monday highlighting key investments in the approved budget.
The budget includes $39 million to transition 3,000 seasonal Cal Fire firefighters to year-round positions, strengthening the state's wildfire response capabilities. An additional $70 million will provide cost-of-living adjustments to childcare providers while maintaining commitments to create 146,000 new childcare slots by 2028, bringing the total to 200,000 new slots.
"Establishing a state budget that invests in the people, programs, and policies that strengthen California remained my priority," Cervantes said in the statement. "This year's budget closes a significant shortfall. It reflects difficult choices made due in large part to the chaos emanating from Washington, D.C., while striving to address ongoing challenges, such as homelessness, climate change, and threats facing all of our communities."
Among other allocations, the budget provides:
$10 million for the Children's Holistic Immigration Representation Project (CHIRP), which provides legal assistance and case management to an estimated 4,000 unaccompanied immigrant children in California
$500 million for the next round of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program (HHAP) allocations
Continued funding for the California Dream for All First-time Homebuyers Program, Renters Tax Credit, CalFresh food assistance, Career Technical Education and the Middle Class Scholarships program
Cervantes, who serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Elections & Constitutional Amendments and previously chaired the California Latino Legislative Caucus from 2022 to 2024, thanked legislative leadership and Governor Gavin Newsom for working to finalize the balanced budget.
The budget's passage comes as the state faces what Cervantes described as "difficult choices made due in large part to the chaos emanating from Washington, D.C."
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