The California legislature passed a budget bill Friday that would keep a controversial aspect of Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal—a freeze on Medi-Cal enrollment for immigrants without legal status. 

The freeze would begin in 2026. The plan would also add a $30 per month premium for immigrants without legal status who are already on Medi-Cal, starting in 2027. 

Several legislators spoke out against those changes — including Democratic Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula from Fresno, who voted against the budget. 

“We need to be a party that stands up for the vulnerable, that stands up for the poor, that stands up for those who are waking up before the sun is up, who are building our roads, who are taking care of our disabled, our elderly, and our children,” he said. 

The budget plan also maintains that people with $130,000 or less in assets are eligible for Medi-Cal. Newsom’s budget would reduce that to $2,000 in assets. 

It also rejects Newsom’s proposal to make several cuts to in-home supportive services — mostly for overtime and travel pay as well as services for people without documentation. 

The legislature’s bill also tackles another controversial aspect of Newsom’s budget: Proposition 36 funding. The measure increased penalties for drug and theft-related crimes, starting late last year. It also allows dismissal of some felony drug offenses if a person completes treatment. 

The legislature wants to put $110 million towards implementing it, while Newsom’s included no funding for Prop 36. Almost half of the new funding would go towards behavioral health services. The rest would support work by the courts and public defenders. 

Republican legislators argued the state should have included $400 million total for the measure — including Chico Assembly member James Gallagher. 

“We’re moving in the right direction, but we’re still not where we need to be,” he said. 

The budget also includes $29 million to support a growing prison population related to the measure and over $200 million for behavioral health grants. 

Newsom must sign a budget bill later this month.

Megan Myscofski is a statehouse/politics reporter at CapRadio. CapRadio is a partner of The Intersection and CVJC.