By Amanda Albright | Bloomberg
California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted Alabama for spending pandemic-relief support constructing prisons, the most recent spherical in his very public marketing campaign criticizing GOP governors in different states.
In a video shared on Twitter, Newsom mentioned Alabama — led by Republican Governor Kay Ivey — selected to spend money on “prisons and punishment” with federal support whereas California spent a few of its cash on schooling. Alabama officers accredited the usage of about $400 million of its pandemic reduction support to finance the development of two males’s prisons, which activists have criticized.
Lotta speak about schooling & "selection" from these GOP governors.
Let us take a look at the "selections" they're making.
When states acquired new federal cash, CA gave 3.5 million children faculty financial savings accounts.
Alabama spent it on two super-sized prisons.
Actions communicate louder than phrases. pic.twitter.com/khHpcKrJOc
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 15, 2022
Newsom, who is taken into account a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2024, has been attacking Republican governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott in Texas. Provided that he’s anticipated to simply win a second time period as governor in November, Newsom as a substitute has frolicked boosting his nationwide profile.
Newsom’s tweet led Ivey to strike again on Twitter. “Governor, of us are making their selection, leaving California in droves and calling ‘crimson states’ like Alabama house,” she mentioned. “Down right here, we’re targeted on public security. And if we’re speaking covid reduction, we invested billions in our college students.”
Alabama is eligible for greater than $2 billion of the $200 billion of fiscal restoration support that was put aside for US states as a part of the White Home’s American Rescue Plan laws, in accordance with the Treasury Division. The $400 million that was allotted towards jail initiatives is likely one of the state’s greatest spending priorities for that set of funds up to now, in accordance with information compiled by Bloomberg and the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures.
Alabama additionally acquired federal support for schooling by way of completely different laws, together with the Cares Act in 2020 and the American Rescue Plan in 2021.
“Governor Ivey, as clearly acknowledged within the tweet, is referring to all covid reduction cash, together with something from the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act each handed below President Trump,” Ivey’s communications director Gina Maiola mentioned in an electronic mail. “So, once more, because the governor acknowledged, Alabama invested billions of dollars into college students, lecturers and fogeys.”
California used greater than $1 billion of its $27 billion of state fiscal-recovery support to create a brand new little one financial savings account program within the state, amongst different makes use of.
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