Sacramento, Calif. – Today, Senator Lena A. Gonzalez (D- Long Beach) and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D- Winters) applauded Governor Newsom’s historic investment of $7 billion in funds for broadband within the newly released May Revise budget proposal. Under the proposal, existing Caltrans networks will be leveraged to build open-access broadband infrastructure as roads and underground utilities are constructed. This will maximize funds and ensure a quick and efficient deployment of modern, durable, high-speed internet infrastructure. Funds will also be made available to assist local governments and tribes building their own broadband infrastructure, and to help increase access to high quality broadband service in rural areas.

“Closing the digital divide is a tremendous passion of mine and I am proud to have worked with my colleagues in the Legislature to author a letter last week to request major investments for broadband infrastructure,” said Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach). “I am very happy to see our state taking bold moves in the right direction to tackle the digital divide, and I thank Governor Newsom for his leadership in proposing a budget that highlights the importance of this issue by allocating significant funds to address the need for the deployment of 21st Century broadband infrastructure. I look forward to building off this momentum and continuing to advance legislation that reforms and advances policies in order to provide Broadband for All California families.”

“This is truly an historic day for our State and a bold proposal to address the gap in access to reliable and affordable internet for all Californians,” said Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D - Winters). “People across this state, especially in small towns and rural areas like those in my district, have struggled to take advantage of the digital economy. The pandemic has made painfully obvious that a lack of connectivity prevents access to equitable opportunities for our people –education and job training, telehealth, small businesses’ expanding to online consumers. I want to thank the Governor for this incredible commitment to connecting California, Senator Gonzalez for her leadership and partnership with me on this critical effort, and so many of our colleagues who’ve joined us in making the dream of Internet for All a reality.”

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Senator Gonzalez represents the 33rd Senate District, which includes the City of Long Beach and portions of South Los Angeles and Southeast Los Angeles including the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Lakewood, Lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, Signal Hill, and South Gate. Senator Gonzalez lives in Long Beach with her family.

Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry represents the 4th Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma Counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento. Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry resides in Winters a block from her childhood home with her longtime partner, Larry Harris, and has two grown daughters and a stepson.