SACRAMENTO – Today, California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson released the following statement in response to the May revision of Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2023-2024 budget:

“There are endless consequences for Gavin Newsom and California Democrats’ reckless policies that have resulted in Californians fleeing the state by the hundreds of thousands, taking their tens of billions in tax dollars with them. Today’s massive $32 billion budget deficit should be a wakeup call to all Democrats that after years of increased spending, they should have better results to point to than an outrageous cost of living, surging crime, rampant homelessness, a fentanyl crisis, failing schools and inadequate water storage. Now is the time for smarter policies and responsible spending that California Republicans have long advocated for. And if Newsom is looking for any tips for how to accomplish that, he can always ask his counterparts in his favorite red states who today are enjoying record surpluses.”

• In 2021, California lost $29.1 billion in adjusted gross income (AGI), more than any other state, and triple what it lost in 2019.
• Florida and Texas had the highest AGI gains in 2021, with a major assist from former Californians. More than half of Texas’ $10.9 billion income gain came from California while $3.5 billion went from California to Florida and another $4.4 billion to neighboring Nevada. 
• 700,000 people left California in the last two years. Texas and Florida have gained more new residents than anywhere else.
• In 2022, 7 out of 10 of California’s largest cities, including the 4 largest, and 46 of California’s 58 counties lost population as the state’s overall population continues to decline.
• Texas and Florida both have a record budget surplus today.