Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses childcare, recall with Telemundo 23’s Stephanie Magallon
CASTROVILLE, Calif. (KION and KMUV) Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Castroville Wednesday to announce a $20 billion school funding proposal.
During the visit, Newsom sat down with Telemundo 23's Stephanie Magallon for an exclusive interview to share his thoughts on the recall he faces, a new project he is expected to announce on Friday to address the lack of daycare access and the issues the Employment Development Department has been facing.
Newsom told Magallon that another million dollar plan is in the works to address child daycare.
"Friday, we will formalize our commitment to do 100,000 new child care slots in the state," he said. Newsom said all of those slots would be subsidized, and the plan includes stipends to help struggling providers.
The governor said the state is planning to move away from the Blueprint for a Safer Economy system, a tier system outlining pandemic guidance, on June 15.
When asked what that will mean for face covering guidance after June 15, Newsom said, "Masks still in indoor settings, like where you're mixed with others... But outdoors we will have guidelines, but no mandates and we will be out of the blueprint."
Newsom also addressed the recall election he is facing.
"The principal proponent of this Republican pack recall wants to microchip immigrants. That's what he wants to do. That's what's at stake in this recall. Yes, it's about me, but it's also about everyone watching, about their families and our values."
"Some of these plans, your opponents are saying are your way of buying Californians."
"All these things are things I've been doing for 20 years, so that's just political rhetoric," Newsom replied.
He argues that the recall effort started before the pandemic and says it is a direct attack against the Latino community. He has been in office for about 28 months and claims this is the sixth recall effort led by the Republican Party against him.
"This was done the last time I expanded healthcare, regardless of immigration status, to everybody 0 to 26. It triggered this recall. You read the petition, don't take my word for it. You read this petition. It begins with an anti-immigration spree," he said.
Three Republican candidates are running against Newsom- Kevin Faulconer, Caitlyn Jenner and John Cox, who claims Newsom's big plans are a way of buying Californians.
Newsom says he will be expanding healthcare coverage on Friday to undocumented people and plans to deepen subsidies for those who cannot afford healthcare.
The other question Californians are wondering about- what is going on with the unemployment system?
"I am not going to leave a broken system to whoever comes next. On Friday, I am going to announce a transformation of our entire EDD budget to once and for all fix the IT, to completely change it, to modernize it."
