Nearly a month after Governor Gavin Newsom proposed pausing the expansion of publicly funded healthcare for undocumented Californians, Democratic lawmakers are drawing a line in the sand.
This week, legislative leaders in both the Assembly and Senate advanced a new budget proposal that pushes back against some of the governor’s most controversial cuts.
At the heart of the disagreement is Newsom’s plan to pause the 2026 Medi-Cal expansion for low-income undocumented residents and require the 1.6 million undocumented Californians already enrolled to begin paying $100 monthly premiums. Citing the state’s projected $12 billion deficit, Newsom has said these proposals are difficult but necessary…