First-term Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) today spoke out against the new Governor’s budget for 2020 that speculates more revenue from sports gambling, marijuana licenses and taxes on electronic cigarettes and vaping products. With $130 BILLION in pension obligations, the governor proposes to extend payments until 2052 with bond sales and added interest costs.
“The Governor’s budget is not austere as he and some others are calling it,” said Rep. Chris Miller, a member of the Economic Opportunity and Equity Committee. “Austere means reductions, cut-backs, and belt-tightening or at least holding the line on spending…not increasing spending!”
The governor’s speech highlighted raising $170 million in fees and licensing for legalizing recreational marijuana use, $200 million in fees and taxes on a new sports betting law, and $390 million in a new tax on insurance companies that will be passed on to hard-working families.
“Taxing vices like E-Cigarettes and vaping products, encouraging drug use by legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding gambling to include betting on sports are not sound economic principles for a cash flow for important programs for our schools and colleges.”
“The Governor was correct when he acknowledged that the fiscal mess we are in goes back many years during Democrat control,” added Rep. Miller. “This budget shows the wrong path our state is on, and we need to oppose these radical proposals that attack our hard-working families, seniors and businesses in our state.”