Newsom details top spending priorities for California: homelessness, healthcare, transportation

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - California Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledges people are exhausted by the ongoing pandemic.

"We have to get through the next few weeks," said Newsom. "The next few weeks, just to level-set, are challenging."

As omicron cases peak in California, he hopes this is the last big surge and the state can shift from its plan from a pandemic to an endemic.

"My hope is when we turn the page that we can start to lay out of a vision for a future where we can start living with this disease in a different way," the governor said.

With staff sickouts at schools around the state over COVID safety demands, Newsom remains adamant about keeping classrooms open for in-person instruction. He expressed his gratitude to teachers and urged frustrated parents to hang on.

"We’re doing everything in our power to hold the line to get through these next few weeks and keep our kids in person in school safely," said Newsom. 

At this point, he says any new shutdowns are off the table.

Newsom sat down with KTVU during a stop at a Santa Clara rail station to tout transportation and infrastructure investments in his budget proposal: the focus on clean energy.

"If you want to be big, you’ve got to be big in the next big thing," said Newsom. "That’s the complete transformation of our transportation sector that’s underway."

The governor has been traveling the state to outline his budget priorities including homelessness, healthcare and climate change. 

Republicans panned much of the plan.

Assembly Republican leader Marie Waldron wrote, "California's problems continue to worsen, despite years of increased government spending and headline-grabbing announcements. This budget doesn't fundamentally solve the many problems facing Californians."

Newsom responded to the criticism saying, "Folks that are on the sideline as critics, they don’t offer much except oftentimes, perspective that gets old and tiresome."

Democrats in the legislature are pushing a single-payer healthcare system, something Newsom backed during his campaign. Though as of late, it seems he isn’t onboard with this latest bill.

"With respect, I think there’s a better approach and one we were taking that was embraced by many of these legislators. And for some reason has changed a little as this bill comes out of nowhere," the governor said.

As negotiations begin over how to spend the state’s huge surplus, Newsom didn't provide a definite answer whether taxpayers will see another rebate check.

"Well, we did $12 billion, the largest state rebate in U.S. history last year," he said. "This year, we’ll look to work with the legislature to try and be creative and I think the inflation hedge, will be a frame that’s appropriate under the circumstances."