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Assembly Member Santiago’s Child Tax Credit Bill Hopes to Pass Appropriations Committee

For immediate release:

(Sacramento, CA) – As AB 2589 (Santiago) will be heard in Assembly Appropriations on Thursday, families are hopeful for the financial support this bill will provide. AB 2589 will expand the Young Child Tax Credit to all CalEITC eligible dependents to provide a $2,000 tax credit per child to families earning $30,000 or less per year. This bill will also raise the minimum amount for the CalEITC from $1 to $255 to help ensure that low-income workers and families do not fall deeper into poverty. While Senator Manchin is blocking the Child Tax Credit federally, California has a chance to lead and use its $97.5 billion surplus to have its own child tax credit and prevent 1.7 million children from falling back into poverty.

Earlier this morning, Assembly Member Santiago, the bill sponsors and local leaders held a press conference about AB 2589. The press conference footage can be accessed here:

“California has a chance to lead the way in fighting child poverty. Our $97 billion surplus provides a critical opportunity to support our lowest income families.” said Assembly Member Miguel Santiago, lead author of this bill. “I am hopeful that the Appropriations Committee will pass AB 2589 and will move California closer to supporting our lowest income families as we recover from the pandemic.”

“California is uniquely positioned to significantly reduce childhood poverty throughout the state,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District. “I thank Assemblymember Santiago for introducing AB 2589 and working to ensure that our most vulnerable have the equitable resources to pay for critical items such as food, rent, childcare, clothing, and more. This can be a game-changer – one that helps to revitalize our communities.”

“California has a budget surplus of $97.5 billion. There is no excuse for not using some of that money to keep parents from making impossible choices and keep kids out of poverty,” said Golden State Opportunity President Amy Everitt. “We must do everything we can to do right by our kids. We must put kids first.”

"Black and Latinx communities, essential workers, and communities with high poverty rates have disproportionately died due to this pandemic. The expanded federal Child Tax Credit was a lifeline for these families,” said Shimica Gaskins, President & CEO at GRACE. “It’s a lifeline that awaits federal action BUT families face dire needs NOW. With a historic $97.5 BILLION surplus, California’s Blueprint MUST make sure those in need are taken care of first through targeted, smart relief."

"1 in 3 California households struggle to get by, despite an overwhelming number having at least one working adult," said Pete Manzo, President & CEO of United Ways of California. "These families are hamstrung by low-wage jobs, the high cost of living, and are disproportionately at the mercy of COVID-19. California needs to step up to ensure that children and families on the brink of poverty are prioritized first. Relief, as outlined in AB 2589, is one of the most effective and equitable ways to target a small portion of our state's ample resources."

AB 2589 will help give our lowest families a boost as we recover from the pandemic by providing a stopgap in Child Tax Credit funding. This bill is currently waiting to be heard by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 19th.

Assembly Member Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization and Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Los Angeles County Homelessness. He also sits on the Assembly Committees on Public Safety, Health, Higher Education and Utilities and Energy. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.