EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new plan to boost the state’s economy over the next 10 years, focusing on sustainable growth, innovation and good jobs.

What You Need To Know

  • California Gov. Newsom announced a new plan to boost the state's economy

  • The California Jobs First Economic Blueprint includes investments in new projects, Native American tribes' economic development, jobs and LA's recovery efforts

  • Newsom described this strategy as a “bottom-up” initiative where the state’s thirteen economic regions engaged more than 10,000 residents and experts that identified the sectors that could drive growth within local economies.

  • Earlier this week, Newsom asked Congress to approve $40 billion in aid to help rebuild the structures and areas devastated by the wildfires

The so-called California Jobs First Economic Blueprint includes $13 million to support the economic recovery and small businesses in the LA region, which was recently devastated by wildfires.

State investments also includes $125 million for new projects, $15 million for California Native American tribes’ economic development, and $92 million for apprenticeship and jobs programs with a focus on youths and high-demand sectors such as finance, advanced manufacturing, and health care.

Newsom described this strategy as a “bottom-up” initiative where the state’s thirteen economic regions engaged more than 10,000 residents and experts that identified the sectors that could drive growth within local economies.

“This was an unprecedented effort that was launched with resources behind it,” the governor said at a news conference on Wednesday. “We said the state vision fundamentally has to be realized at the local level. If we put out an economic development plan, it had to be bottom-up, not top-down. It had to be formed by the unique diversity of each region of the state of California.”

The governor said his new plan represents Californians’ “desires, their aspirations and to acknowledge their fears as it relates to displacement, macroeconomic changes, what’s happening in the global economy, impacts of tariffs” and more.

Newsom’s press conference comes a few weeks after one of the costliest wildfires in U.S. history charred through the Palisades and Altadena area. According to the Associated Press, the total economic loss because of the fires has been estimated to top $250 billion.

Earlier this week, Newsom asked Congress to approve $40 billion in aid to help rebuild the structures and areas devastated by the wildfires.

He said he felt an honest level of engagement with California Republican representatives that is critical to granting his funding request.

Newsom expects there to be “turbulence” before the federal funding deadline in mid-March, but he is confident in the state’s position to litigate and the millions in funding that were set apart for this litigation.

He commended the federal government and the Environmental Protection Agency for the completion of Phase 1 debris removal and touted having waived CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act) and the Coastal Act to simplify the rebuilding process.

Newsom tied the blueprint’s economic plan and the creation of jobs to assist in LA’s post-fire rebuild.

Of the $13 million allocated, the governor stated that $10 million will go to the LA Region Small Business Relief Fund, a city and county program to help rebuild fire-damaged areas.

This also marks the first investment from LA Rises, the January-launched recovery initiative spearheaded by Gov. Newsom, Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and Casey Wasserman. 

Los Angeles Jobs First Collaborative will receive the other $3 million for regional recovery initiatives, including public campaigns promoting small businesses and expanding capacity for immediate economic recovery, state officials said.