California's Newsom wants health coverage for all immigrants

Covering those age 50 and up, the most recent expansion, will eventually cost taxpayers about $1.3 billion per year.His budget address kicks off months of haggling with his fellow Democrats, who control the state Legislature, talks that will intensify when Newsom presents an updated spending proposal in May.Some progressive legislative Democrats last week proposed creating in California the nation’s first universal health care system, backed by steep tax hikes that would have to be approved by voters.Newsom also has pledged to spend $300 million on boosting law enforcement efforts to combat retail theft and another $2.7 billion to spend on things like coronavirus testing and hospital staffing.He additionally on Monday proposed spending $648 million to back wildland firefighters and buy more helicopters and bulldozers, plus another $1.2 billion on top of the current budget year's $1.5 billion for forest management.Another $750 million would go to drought relief, on top of the current budget year's $5.2 billion water package.Also on the environmental front, he pledged to keep reducing California’s reliance on fossil fuels.To confront the state's seemingly intractable homelessness problem, he proposed spending $2 billion for mental health services, housing, and clearing homeless encampments.