Californian Lawmakers are seeking a $200 million budget to fight anti-Asian hate crimes over the next three years, KTLA reports.
LAist states that the proposal for this budget comes after a rise in anti-Asian hate over the last year.
“We want to address not only, of course, the recent events of hate directed toward our community, but also to recognize longstanding issues in terms of access for our community to public services, government services,” Democratic Senator of Sacramento Richard Pan told KTLA.
LAist reports that most of the $200 million budget would go towards providing services to victims of anti-Asian hate crimes. This includes counseling, health care, free legal services and a new multilingual hotline where callers seek help.
Legislators would use a $10 million portion to tackle hate incidents in schools. Restorative justice strategies where there is mediation between the perpetrator and the victim would be implemented.
California’s various ethnic hubs such as Chinatowns, Japantowns and Koreatowns would receive $20 million. Many of the businesses in these hubs have dropped in customers and are a site for anti-Asian attacks.
Other provisions for the budget include $10 million towards a California-based online reporting tool, $10 million towards a corps of Asian language-speaking interpreters to work in state departments to help immigrants and $10 million to create an Office of Racial Equity which would help all communities of color.
“This is a really historic proposal because it’s really a flashpoint for our community to stand up and to ask to be seen, but also ask to be heard,” Assemblymember Phil Ting told LAist.
Lawmakers would need to pass the proposed budget by Tuesday. However, Governor Gavin Newson has until the end of June to sign off on it. Changes to the budget can still be made until the session ends in September.
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