Lawmakers talk budget changes ahead of governor’s revision

(The Center Square) — Farmworker families could benefit from proposed funding changes to a home energy program if lawmakers grant an extension to spend up to $10 million to heat or cool farmworker housing, according to documents from the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services.

Changes to funding for such programs and services could be reflected in California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised budget proposal, which lawmakers anticipate will be released in the next couple of weeks.

Officials with the Department of Community Services and Development proposed changes to the Low-Income Weatherization Program, which uses greenhouse gas reduction money to pay for low-income families and farmworker families to heat or cool their homes without increasing their energy bills.

The timeline to spend money allocated to the Low-Income Weatherization Program ends on June 30, 2026. Officials with the department asked lawmakers to extend that timeline to June 30, 2027 for the farmworker portion of the program...