May 2018 file photo of Tulare Regional Medical Center

Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) has condemned the decision of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services to deny his request for $22 million in emergency funding to reopen Tulare Regional Medical Center.

“Capitol Democrats stated that the hospital is too big of a risk and gamble to bail out. They have concerns regarding the litigation and when the hospital will actually open,” Mathis said in a statement. “There are 70,000 people in Tulare who don’t have access to a hospital, and big city politicians don’t seem to care.”

Mathis added that the state has a “massive budget surplus.”

There will be one other opportunity try and get the request in the final budget, he said. When leadership meets with Gov. Jerry Brown, there is a chance to receive some of the $22 million. However, the majority party expressed to Mathis that it probably wouldn’t be the full amount.

“The hospital’s new management is working night and day to get the doors back open,” Mathis said. “I’ll keep fighting with the same dedication to find a solution that brings health care access back to our community.”