Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): On the Scene in California

 California Governor Newsome just announced its' May Revised Budget Numbers based on a large Budget Surplus.   We present this courtesy to the team at EdSource & the Governors' Office on what some of the proposals entail:

Podcast Newsom's $2 billion college savings plan & Chris Edley on his new role

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spark the higher education aspirations of all families by establishing a $500 college savings account for all current low-income public school students at a cost of $2 billion, and for subsequent incoming 1st graders. The proposal was a surprise piece of his $20 billion, 5-year "transformational" package for preK-12 schools in the May state budget revision that he presented this week. College savings accounts are not a new concept but they've never been done on this scale. We discuss the merits and specifics with two leaders of Oakland Promise, an organization that has an extensive college savings plan and college readiness programs in place. Also, we speak with former UC Berkeley Law School Dean Christopher Edley, Jr. about why he wants to lead Berkeley's Graduate School of Education for the next two years. Edley, a long-time advocate for equitable education, will become the school's interim dean in July, replacing Dean Prudence Carter who is stepping down. John Fensterwald and Louis Freedberg are the co-hosts. Our guests are: Mia Bonta, CEO, Oakland Promise Amanda Feinstein, director, Brilliant Baby, Oakland Promise Christopher Edley, law professor and incoming dean, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education

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NEW Broadband gets a major boost in California budget revision   By Sydney Johnson & John Fensterwald, EdSource The funding was announced Friday alongside a sweeping set of proposals for K-12 education in California as part of the annual May budget proposal. Read more

NEW Gov. Newsom to make major investments in higher education By Ashley A. Smith & Larry Gordon, EdSource The May revision includes $48.7 billion for the state's higher education systems, including restoring funding cuts made last year. Read more

NEW Newsom proposes major funding increase for student mental health services By Carolyn Jones, EdSource The proposed funding would more than double Newsom's January proposal and provide mental health services for all Californians under age 26. Read more

Police training at California public colleges gets a shakeup following George Floyd murder By Thomas Peele, EdSource California's community colleges and state university system are deeply involved in training and educating police officers and are making changes a year after George Floyd was murdered. Read more CalOSBA’s monthly newsletter features the most recent announcements from the State of California, along with resources available for all small businesses across our diverse communities. Governor Gavin Newsom Announced May 2021 as Small Business Month! On Thursday, May 6, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a Proclamation declaring May 2021 as Small Business Month! CalOSBA Director Tara Lynn Gray says, “I am pleased with today’s proclamation by Governor Newsom. Simply put, he gets it. Small businesses are critical to the growth of our economy and he has prioritized their recovery by providing significant aid during the pandemic with cash grants, following that up with tax relief to the tune of $6.2 billion, and license renewal fee waivers for up to two years. Those actions demonstrate not only leadership but a commitment to create a climate that fosters resilience and opportunity within our state.” The proclamation reads,” In order for our economy to continue on the path to recovery and maintain global leadership, we must ensure that Californians can pursue their dream to start, manage and grow businesses in our state." You can read the full proclamation by clicking here.  Multiple Trainings Are Available to Celebrate Small Business Month! California supports a network of small business technical assistance centers that provide no-cost or low-cost trainings to help businesses get funded, enter new markets, strengthen operations, build resiliency, and more. To celebrate #SmallBusinessMonth, the technical assistance centers are providing multiple training's to help small business owners, startups, and entrepreneurs start, manage, and grow. Some webinar topics include: Angel Investment 101 for Start-Ups with Tech Entrepreneur Tim Berry Your New Business Plan Rev Up Your Revenue! Building a Sales & Marketing Strategy to Grow ASK the SBDC - get information as it relates to funding information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Webinar: How to Write Product Descriptions for Your Ecommerce Site that Wins You Customers ...And more. To see the full list of webinar training's available, click here. Notifications for Round 6 of the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Started May 7th Round 6, the final round of the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant, ended on May 4th at 5:00 pm PST. Notifications began on May 7th. Applicants should monitor their emails for communication from Lendistry. If Selected, and after additional verification requirements are provided, businesses will begin receiving grantee agreements via DocuSign. Once the grant agreement has been executed, ACH transfers will begin one week afterwards. The Selection process to the day of ACH transfer takes approximately 45 days. Applicants are chosen based on the program’s priority criteria and not on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is Accepting Applications until May 31, 2021 (or until remaining funds are exhausted) The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll. Borrowers may be eligible for PPP loan forgiveness. The U.S. SBA is currently offering PPP loans originated only by participating community financial institutions including Certified Development Companies (CDCs), SBA Microlenders, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) until May 31, 2021 or until remaining funds are exhausted. Please note that not all community financial institutions are participating in PPP. You can find an eligible lender that’s participating in PPP or identify a loan by clicking here. The U.S. SBA Restaurant Revitalization Fund is Open and Accepting Application The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) program provides emergency assistance for eligible restaurants, bars, and other qualifying businesses impacted by COVID-19. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023. Eligible entities who have experienced pandemic-related revenue loss include: Restaurants Food stands, food trucks, food carts Caterers Bars, saloons, lounges, taverns Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars For more information, click here.  The U.S. SBA Reopened the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant for Applications The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established by the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, and amended by the American Rescue Plan Act. The program includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees. Eligible entities include: Live venue operators or promoters Theatrical producers Live performing arts organization operators Museum operators Motion picture theater operators (including owners) Talent representatives For more information on the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, click here. - The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) supports economic growth and innovation and ensures that ALL California small businesses and innovative startups have the information and direct support they need to better navigate resources, programs and regulations. CalOSBA serves as the voice of small business, representing their views and interests across the state and advocating for equitable access to capital, markets, and networks so that all California small businesses successfully start, manage, grow and become more resilient. For more small business resources and information, visit business.ca.gov/calosba.