photo credit: Sonoma State University
The Sonoma State Student Center at sunset.

California's governor released a revised state budget this week, and while it offers some relief for higher education, the May Revision still includes millions in cuts to the California State University system.

Earlier rounds of the governor's budget included a $375 million cut to CSU funding, a potential double whammy for cash strapped Sonoma State.

The revised budget calls for a smaller 3% system-wide reduction that would put more money into SSU's campus coffers than originally proposed.

That's a change District 3 State Senator Chris Cabaldon has been pushing for.

"The budget for UC and CSU is an improvement," Cabaldon said.

"What the governor's done in response to the call, the very clear calls from the from well, me and other members of the legislature, I'm encouraged that the governor has heard that message and reduced his proposed cut to CSU by two-thirds," Cabaldon said. "I'm still pressing to reverse the cut all together."

The revised numbers would bring down Sonoma State's deficit by almost $5 million dollars, noted SSU interim President Emily Cutrer in a recent update.

The original deficit was forecast near $24 million, but the revision leaves a still-formidable $19 million gap in the university's budget.

The governor also revised down the size of cuts to University of California system funding, from $396 million to $129 million.

In 2022, Gavin Newsom's administration negotiated funding compacts with the UC and CSU systems, guaranteeing an increase in funding year on year for five years, but with the shrinking budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, the governor's new budget defers over 240 million dollars each in funding increases for both the UC and CSU systems.

The governor plans on pushing the investments back to 2027-2028.

Cabaldon said those cuts have him worried.

"I wish the CSU had never signed a compact with the governor because the governor doesn't have the authority to commit anybody to future funding," Cabaldon said. "He can't commit the legislature, but also now the governor [is] in the final two years of his term, he can't commit future governors to funding increases later."

The final state budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year is due by June 15th.