On Wednesday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new coronavirus aid plan, which will send $600 checks to over 5.7 million eligible Californians.
The plan will cut one-time checks to Californians who earn less than $30,000 per year, as well as undocumented immigrants, who were excluded from the Trump administration’s COVID-19 relief payments. At $2.3 billion, this is the most expensive part of Governor Newsom’s $9.6 billion coronavirus aid plan.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said the plan “will help those who are hurting the most.” It expands on Newsom’s original plan by calling for more money than the governor originally proposed in January. The plan includes people who already receive supplemental income from state and federal programs.
The timing of these payments has not yet been decided by federal officials.
Small businesses will also be supported by the new aid plan. It will provide grants of up to $25,000 for small businesses -- $2 billion in total will be available. Also, over 750,000 businesses will be able to deduct up to $150,000 in Paycheck Protection Plan loans from their state taxes. About 59,000 restaurants and bars will also get two years of waived annual license fees.
Farm and food processing workers will receive some coronavirus aid as well. Governor Newsom said that if these workers contract the virus and have no place to isolate, his plan will put them up in hotels. This program will cost $24 million.
Budget committee hearings for the measure start today. The Legislature is expected to vote on the issue as early as Monday.
