LOS ANGELES—Nearly two-thirds of residents in Southern California and across the state would receive $600 state stimulus checks under a rebate proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom announced May 10, while families with children would receive an extra $500. “We are tripling the Golden State Stimulus to get money in the hands of more middle-class Californians who have been hit hard by this pandemic,” Newsom said. “Two in three Californians will receive a check from the state and more than $5 billion in aid will be made available to those who need help paying their rent or utility bills.” The payments are being proposed in response to what Newsom called a $75.7 billion state budget surplus. In addition to the direct stimulus payments, Newsom also proposed $5 billion to assist renters who have fallen behind in their payments, and another $2 billion to cover utility bills that residents hit hard by the …