Orange County leaders say they’re optimstic the recently-released draft budget will benefit local businesses and public schools. “We think that this budget that the governor presented has a number of good things in there that are steps in the right direction of giving the mainstream mom-and-pop [shops] more hope and support that they desperately need,” John Kabateck, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, told The Epoch Times on Jan. 11. California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a proposed $227.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2021–2022 on Jan. 8, a new record for the state, with significant funds earmarked to aid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget features funding for economic relief, public schools, health measures, and more—including a $14 billion economic recovery allocation to provide relief for working families and small businesses, facilitate the safe reopening of schools, and invest in zero-emission vehicles. The budget economic …