On Monday, March 30, 2026, Los Angeles County's 37-member state legislative delegation rolled into budget season with a hefty list of asks for Sacramento, seeking more than $2 billion in state funding for wildfire recovery, transit projects, park upgrades, and services ahead of a slate of major sporting events. Led by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, the package mixes one-time rebuilding dollars with ongoing funding fixes that delegation leaders say are critical to keeping the county running as lawmakers in Sacramento gear up to write the 2026-27 state budget.
Big Asks, Big-Ticket Projects
The delegation's letter to state budget leaders zeroes in on specific transit, parks, and rebuilding needs across the county. It calls for $379.3 million for Los Angeles County Metro to bolster transit and mobility improvements, $240.5 million for upgrades at Exposition Park, and $65.3 million for Sepulveda Basin revitalization. Lawmakers are also pressing for $500 million a year to restore Medi-Cal inpatient payments to public hospitals, roughly $100 million for wildfire recovery, and $5 million to rebuild the Pacific Palisades branch library, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Delegation Leadership and Recovery Push
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, who chairs the county delegation, has been the visible point person coordinating state-level outreach and lobbying for emergency support and rebuilding funds since last year's fires. Her office has framed the sweeping set of requests as essential to preserving core services and speeding recovery, according to a press release from Assemblymember Tina McKinnor's office.
Medi-Cal Dispute and Health Funding
The same letter also makes clear that members of the delegation do not support Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposal to shift some undocumented and lawfully present immigrants from full-scope to restricted-scope Medi-Cal beginning in October 2026, a move that would alter coverage for hundreds of thousands of people, as reported by the Los Angeles Daily News. Health advocates and budget analysts warn that the governor's plan would leave many people with emergency-only or pregnancy-only coverage, a concern outlined by the California Academy of Family Physicians and other policy observers.
Timing: Budget Calendar and Next Steps
The timing raises the stakes. State lawmakers must approve a balanced Budget Act by the constitutional deadline of June 15, 2026, and the 2026-27 fiscal year starts July 1, 2026, which leaves a relatively tight window for hammering out details on the L.A. requests. The California Budget & Policy Center notes that the June deadline and the May revision period typically set the contours for what ultimately makes it into the final spending plan.
What It Means for Angelenos
County officials say the package combines near-term recovery needs with longer-term investments, from soil testing and park improvements to added transit capacity ahead of major events, and effectively hands Sacramento a detailed shopping list. How much of the delegation's wish list survives the May revision and the final budget will decide which local projects and services actually move ahead in the coming year.
