By Amanda Albright | Bloomberg
California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted Alabama for spending pandemic-relief aid building prisons, the latest round in his very public campaign criticizing GOP governors in other states.
In a video shared on Twitter, Newsom said Alabama — led by Republican Governor Kay Ivey — chose to invest in “prisons and punishment” with federal aid while California spent some of its money on education. Alabama officials approved the use of about $400 million of its pandemic relief aid to finance the construction of two men’s prisons, which activists have criticized.
Lotta talk about education & “choice” from these GOP governors.
Let’s look at the “choices” they’re making.
When states received new federal money, CA gave 3.5 million kids college savings accounts.
Alabama spent it on two super-sized prisons.
Actions speak louder than words. pic.twitter.com/khHpcKrJOc
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 15, 2022
Newsom, who is considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2024, has been attacking Republican governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott in Texas. Given that he’s expected to easily win a second term as governor in November, Newsom instead has spent time boosting his national profile.
Newsom’s tweet led Ivey to strike back on Twitter. “Governor, folks are making their choice, leaving California in droves and calling ‘red states’ like Alabama home,” she said. “Down here, we’re focused on public safety. And if we’re talking covid relief, we invested billions in our students.”
Alabama is eligible for more than $2 billion of the $200 billion of fiscal recovery aid that was set aside for US states as part of the White House’s American Rescue Plan legislation, according to the Treasury Department. The $400 million that was allocated toward prison projects is one of the state’s biggest spending priorities for that set of funds so far, according to data compiled by Bloomberg and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Alabama also received federal aid for education through different legislation, including the Cares Act in 2020 and the American Rescue Plan in 2021.
“Governor Ivey, as clearly stated in the tweet, is referring to all covid relief money, including anything from the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act both passed under President Trump,” Ivey’s communications director Gina Maiola said in an email. “So, again, as the governor stated, Alabama invested billions of dollars into students, teachers and parents.”
California used more than $1 billion of its $27 billion of state fiscal-recovery aid to create a new child savings account program in the state, among other uses.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Business News Click Here
