California Sen. Laphonza Butler boasts ‘win’ for crime victims fund despite less money for the state

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Earlier this month, outgoing California’s U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler boasted that she had “secured wins for California,” and cited as one of her achievements $1.3 billion for the federal fund to help crime victims.

While that figure is accurate, Butler failed to say the funding is not a win. It’s a steep drop from funding the previous year and the year prior to that.

And her claim — which suggested all the money would go to California — was perhaps misleading. The $1.3 billion will go to help crime victims across the country. California will receive only some of those funds — possibly between $80 and $100 million, according to state Office of Emergency Services estimates.

Butler’s office says the senator met with advocacy groups and helped win congressional approval of the money.

“It’s not misleading. The point of our press release is to tout the wins that will go back to California in some way,” said Audrey Lopez, the senator’s communications director. “We want to highlight the things that the senator feels passionate about.”

Butler listed the funding and other priorities in a March 8 release titled “Butler secures billions for California, defeats extreme right-wing policies.”

Butler’s boasts involved one of the massive spending bills Congress approved last month. The first of those bills, which funded federal Justice Department programs and other departments, won House and Senate approval with strong bipartisan majorities, though many conservatives were opposed.,

In that bill, Congress allocated $1.3 billion for the federal Victims of Crime Fund in this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The amount was somewhat of a win for advocates since it was $153 million above President Joe Biden’s request — but it was less than the fund’s $2.6 billion in 2022 and $1.9 billion last year.

The drop came because the fund gets its money from penalties for federal criminal convictions and other legal actions. Lawmakers then determine the amount available each year, taking into account incoming deposits, which have been down in recent years.

Less money for crime victims

The crime victim money is distributed in several different ways. One part of the federal funding goes to organizations that help victims, such as those hurt by domestic violence, sex trafficking, street crime and other incidents.

California’s federal Victims of Crime Act assistance grant funds have dropped in recent years from a peak of $397 million in federal fiscal year 2018 to $153 million in the last fiscal year.

California OES estimates that the grant allocation could be reduced during this fiscal year to between $80 million and $100 million, though no final decisions have been announced.

Among those Butler spoke with as part of her push for more money were advocates at the Jenesse Center, a nonprofit domestic violence intervention and prevention center in South Los Angeles.

Alyson Messenger, the center’s managing staff attorney, called the federal funding “the foundation and backbone of California’s ability to serve victims of crime, which is why the funding cuts are so devastating.”

She projected the center’s Domestic Violence Assistance Program faces a 30% to 50% cut this summer. Its housing program, which provides temporary shelter and help finding permanent housing, is threatened with big cuts.

Also facing several funding reductions are programs aimed at helping children and legal services for victims.

Butler did not mention cuts in her release. She lists the victims’ program funding as “billions in federal funding“ she secured “to help address California’s most pressing needs.”

Butler, a Democrat, was appointed to her seat by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October. She is not seeking election in November.

Touting funding victories in budget bills is a longstanding legislative tradition, though usually lawmakers get more local. Butler herself put out a list of local projects last week that she championed in the latest congressional spending bill.

Lawmakers have been warning of the consequences should the fund continue to be depleted. A group of 42 state attorneys general, including California’s Rob Bonta, last month warned in a letter to congressional leaders that if the fund continues to shrink, “many victim service programs across the country may be forced to close.”

On Feb. 29, 41 House members wrote to the White House budget office urging it to recommend more funding in the next fiscal year, which begins in October. Among those singing were Reps. Jim Costa, D-Fresno; Judy Chu, D-Pasadena; and Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara.

“Without this funding, millions of victims, including survivors of domestic violence, will be left without access to safety, to justice, and to healing,” they said.