California governor asks for $2.7 billion to battle pandemic
Associated PressSACRAMENTO, Calif. — With new coronavirus cases surging across the state, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration on Saturday proposed spending another $2.7 billion to expand testing and boost hospital staffing, while calling for a new law to give workers more paid time off if they get sick. Of the $2.7 billion in new spending, about $1.2 billion of it would be for testing, including money to pay for extending the hours and capacity at state-run testing sites, while also sending millions of tests to local health departments, community clinics and schools. In addition to testing, about $614 million would be for hospital staffing and $583 million would be for vaccine distribution, which includes a public information campaign the governor’s office said would “combat misinformation” and encourage people to get vaccinated. With more people testing positive, Newsom is asking the state Legislature for a new law requiring companies to give workers more paid time off if they get sick.