California State Senator Suzette Martinez-Valladares (R-Agua Dulce) joined the KHTS Morning Show on Tuesday to discuss the state’s latest budget proposal and call attention to the need for deeper affordability reforms.

Valladares, responding to the newly announced budget plan, criticized what she described as misplaced priorities in Sacramento, particularly around taxation and spending transparency.

“I think there’s a little bit of a transparency and accountability issue as to how those tax dollars are spent and, you know, it’s my theory that they want to continue funding pet projects and they would rather control more of our dollars in the legislature than let us control those dollars,” Valladares.

Amid skyrocketing living costs—from fuel to groceries to housing—Valladares emphasized that families across California are suffering, and that the legislature needs to refocus on practical affordability solutions.

Valladares further criticized the state’s financial management, pointing out that California went from a $100 billion surplus to an estimated $45 billion budget shortfall in just a few years.

“I believe we have a priorities problem,” she said. “We’ve capped out our rainy day fund. We need meaningful reform—or at least a meaningful look at our books to ask, ‘Why are we spending so much here?’”

She also voiced strong opposition to recent $100 million cuts to special needs services, including speech therapy for children, vowing to advocate for their restoration during the upcoming budget negotiations.

“I’m going to be kicking and screaming that we need to restore those,” she said. “We have to pass the budget on June 15. Constitutionally, if we don’t, legislators don’t get paid. I’m fine with that. But we need to get our priorities straight.”

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