State legislators tell Santa Clara they’re pursuing budget fixes — but warn timing and tradeoffs remain

State legislators who joined the committee on March 20 said they are actively working on state budget responses to HR 1 but cautioned that solutions require both political pressure and tradeoffs.

Senator Dave Cortese told the committee the Senate is surveying members and debating revenue and targeted backfill proposals. He highlighted two revenue ideas discussed in the hearing: closing a water’s‑edge corporate tax break and a targeted medical backfill assessed on large employers; combined, proponents said they could raise billions. Cortese urged local constituents to make direct outreach to Sacramento: "Anything you can do to help with that is great," he said, adding that local voices in committee analyses matter to legislators.

Assembly member Patrick Ahrens, a member of the state budget committee, said early budget actions are possible and cited a recent $90,000,000 augmentation passed for reproductive health clinics as an example of rapid response when advocates press for it. Ahrens said he is prioritizing the county’s Medi‑Cal preservation ask and exploring options for early action and retroactive payback that could help counties recoup costs.

Legislators also addressed timing: some state‑level impacts to the budget unfold in tranches and may not hit until 2027, while counties must make decisions now. Several speakers urged pursuing short‑term budget actions alongside medium‑ and long‑term revenue measures.

The delegation on the record agreed to carry the county’s HR 1 budget letter to budget committee chairs and to elevate county requests during the May revision and budget negotiations. No binding state commitment was made at the meeting; legislators said their ability to deliver depends on caucus votes and governor negotiations.