In response to the Governor’s May Revision to the 2025-26 state budget, California Medical Association (CMA) President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D., issued the following the statement:

"The Newsom administration’s decision to divert voter-approved Proposition 35 and Proposition 56 funds is a direct violation of the will of California voters.

"Instead of honoring the clear intent of Prop 35 and voters – to increase access to care for Medi-Cal patients through a protected funding stream – the Governor is proposing to use this money to patch a budget shortfall of the state’s own making. At the same time, the Governor is repurposing Prop 56 dollars (passed in 2016) that provide critical funding to family planning and reproductive health care services and dental care.

"This diversion of voter approved funds coupled with devastating cuts are amid escalating national attacks on Medicaid and reproductive rights.

"This decision undermines the trust of the nearly 68% of California voters who supported Prop 35. The proposition was passed to prevent exactly this kind of maneuver – raiding health care funding to solve budget problems.

"This isn’t just a broken promise – it’s a dangerous precedent that will worsen California’s health care crisis. With federal Medicaid cuts looming and 15 million Californians relying on Medi-Cal, this budget move threatens access to care across the state and is an attack on our most vulnerable communities.

"CMA is committed to increasing access to care and ensuring these funds go where voters intended, not for solving a budget problem of the state’s own making."