Assembly passes SB 101 after hours of debate over Medi‑Cal, Prop 36 and high‑speed rail funding

SACRAMENTO — The California State Assembly approved Senate Bill 101, a budget bill, on third reading May 29 after more than an hour of floor debate over health‑care coverage, voter‑approved Proposition 36 funding, wildfire prevention and high‑speed rail financing. The roll call showed Ayes 57, Nos 19; the measure passed and was immediately transmitted to the Senate.

The vote followed a separate, earlier procedural roll call on an effort to adopt floor amendments offered by Assemblymember Sanchez; that motion to lay the amendments on the table passed Ayes 43, Nos 18. Assemblymembers on both sides of the aisle described the budget as imperfect but consequential, with supporters saying it preserves core services and opponents warning it risks cuts to vulnerable Californians.

Assemblymember Gabriel, chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, presented the bill and framed it as the product of extensive hearings and compromise. "We have had 68 hearings in the budget committee to arrive at this moment," Gabriel said, thanking subcommittee chairs and staff. He described the package as balancing compassion and fiscal responsibility while acknowledging a projected $12,000,000,000 budget gap discovered in the governor’s May revision.

Opponents leveled sharp criticisms on several fronts. Assemblymember DeMayo called the plan "one of the most dishonest, destructive, irresponsible budgets" he had seen, accusing the majority of employing accounting gimmicks and of underfunding public safety priorities. "This budget contains $13,700,000,000 in accounting gimmicks," DeMayo said on the floor. Assemblymember Gallagher warned that continued funding choices — including sustaining expanded Medi‑Cal coverage for undocumented residents — would be unsustainable and predicted future cuts to vulnerable programs.

Supporters disputed claims that the budget abandoned voter or public‑safety priorities. Assemblymember Schultz cited specific line items that she said fund Proposition 36 implementation: "$110,000,000 earmarked for the implementation of Proposition 36, largely for behavioral health," plus "$29,000,000 for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation" and "$127,000,000 to the BSCC for grants." Schultz summarized, "there is nearly $350,000,000 earmarked for public safety."

Much of the floor argument centered on health‑care decisions included in the package. Several members raised alarms about proposed steps that would freeze Medi‑Cal enrollment for some groups or impose premiums on certain enrollees, which critics said would create a two‑tier system for health coverage. "If we move forward with freezing Medi‑Cal enrollment and charging premiums to our immigrant population, we are no better than the Trump administration," Assemblymember El Hawari said, urging a delay in implementation to July 2026 to allow more time for alternatives. Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez described proposals to roll back coverage as "personal," saying cuts would harm seniors, people with disabilities and families who rely on Medi‑Cal.

Other topics drew sustained comment. Assemblymember Sanchez’s proposed amendments, which members voted to lay on the table, would have included $400,000,000 for Proposition 36, $500,000,000 for Cal Fire wildfire prevention work, increased Medi‑Cal provider reimbursement and a repeal of recent Air Resources Board changes to the low‑carbon fuel standard. Sanchez urged members to "restore some common sense to California." Opponents of the Sanchez amendments and other budget choices criticized a continued commitment to high‑speed rail funding; one floor speaker said the plan effectively locks in a $19,000,000,000 bond.

Several members highlighted specific investments they supported. Assemblymember Schiavo praised $100,000,000 for victims‑of‑crime services. Assemblymember Gibson pointed to $104,000,000 proposed for food‑bank programs. Assemblymember Bonta described the enacted package as "a work in progress" that buys time for legislators to refine choices in trailer bills and further negotiations with the governor and the Senate.

Assemblymember Gabriel closed debate by urging colleagues to contact federal representatives about actions in Washington that he said were contributing to California's fiscal pressures. After the vote, the chair announced the measure's immediate transmittal to the Senate and the Assembly adjourned until Monday, June 16 at 1 p.m.

Votes at a glance: Motion to lay Sanchez amendments on the table — Ayes 43, Nos 18 (passed). SB 101 on third reading — Ayes 57, Nos 19 (passed; immediate transmittal to Senate).