By Cristine Soto DeBerry

A mother is fleeing an abusive relationship. When she contacts a shelter, she is told there are no beds available for her and her children.

A woman is sexually assaulted. The prosecutor’s office doesn’t have a victim advocate to help her navigate the legal process and sit by her side in the courtroom.

A teenage boy is a victim of a hate crime. He waits three months for a counseling appointment before giving up.

This could be the future for survivors of crime in California if Governor Newsom doesn’t act now to sustain victim services amid a significant dropoff in federal funding.

For decades, the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund has been the backbone of victim services nationwide. But in recent years, there has been a significant shortfall in VOCA funding, with California seeing a staggering 67% cut since 2019.

That leaves our state at a crossroads.

We often hear statements from politicians about the importance of standing with victims. Now is the time to turn those words into action by committing to include $100 million for victim services in this year’s budget.

You may be wondering: didn’t California already step in to address this gap?

The answer is yes – and it made a real difference. Over the past two years, the legislature, thanks to the leadership of Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo and Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, provided funding that protected essential services statewide.

Now, as the federal government continues to fall short, the question is whether Governor Newsom and the California legislature will sustain that commitment. Though both the state Senate and Assembly moved to include the funding in this year’s budget, it’s still far from guaranteed, and the governor only included $25 million in his May revise. The stakes are too high for uncertainty….