Understanding California’s $32 billion budget deficit and what the path forward looks like for the state’s spending plan. How the expiration of Title 42 is impacting California. Celebrating Punjabi heritage in the Sacramento Valley.
CA budget May revise
The financial winds have changed in California. After years of record surplus, California now faces a $31.5-billion-dollar budget deficit. What will be cut? What will be saved? What are Governor Newsom’s priorities? Today on Insight, CapRadio politics reporter, Nicole Nixon and California Deputy Director of External Affairs for the Department of Finance, H.D. Palmer join us to sift through the details and help us understand how we got here and what the path forward looks like for California’s $306-billion-dollar spending plan.
Title 42 impact
It’s been four days since Title 42 expired, an emergency health order enacted 3 years ago at the onset of the pandemic that quickly expelled people who entered into the U.S. illegally. Before that, people could cross into the country illegally, ask for asylum, and often wait out a lengthy immigration process on U.S. soil. Which comes with its own set of issues as Congress has long been deadlocked on immigration reform. But the expiration of Title 42 doesn’t mean policies will go back to pre-pandemic. The Biden Administration has enacted new measures to curb what is anticipated to be an influx of people seeking asylum across the border. And that has civil rights and immigration advocacy groups filing lawsuits to block new policies they say are equally restrictive. Insight spoke with Kevin R. Johnson, Dean of Public Interest Law and Chicano Studies at UC Davis and Sarah Torres is an attorney for Opening Doors, a non-profit helping immigrants and refugees establish new lives in Northern California. They shared the legal complexities surrounding the current asylum process and how this national crisis is impacting California, one of four states that share a border with Mexico.
Celebrating Punjabi heritage
The social fabric of California is a mixture of identities, cultures, and languages. One group that perhaps isn’t at the forefront of the conversation is the Punjabi community which plays a big role in the agricultural industry that drives California. Dating back to the late 19th century, the Punjabi community has established thick roots across the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys in cities like Stockton and Yuba City. Highlighting this rich history and heritage is the UC Davis Humanities Institute and they’re presenting a series of events to highlight the work, culture, and diversity during Punjabi Week. Nicole Ranganath, Professor in Middle East and South Asia Studies, and Archana Venkatesan, Professor of Religious Studies and Comparative Literature, joined Insight to tell us more about Punjabi heritage in the Sacramento Valley and provide a preview of Punjabi week.
