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School Services of California, Inc.
Community College Update
December 20, 1996
Copyright© 1996 by School Services of California, Inc.
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Jack Scott Gets Prime Subcommittee Chair
and Bill Introductions Begin

Newly elected Assembly Member Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) the former Superintendent/President of Pasadena Community College District, has received a "plum" committee assignment as Chairman of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #2. This subcommittee is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on the proposed state budget for all of public education from K-12 to the University of California.

It is unusual for freshman legislators -- pre-term limits -- to receive such an important committee chair in their first year of office. In addition, Jack's experience as a community college administrator with knowledge of education budgets, was a significant factor in his selection. It had been rumored after the November 5 election that Assembly Member Scott might be named to Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee. However, chair of that committee will go to Assembly Member Ted Lempert (D-San Mateo).

Assembly Member Denise Ducheny (D-San Diego) has been named Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee &emdash; you may recall she was Chair of Subcommittee #2 during the 1995 legislative session. In addition, another first-termer, Assembly Member Carol Migden (D-San Francisco) will Chair the important Assembly Appropriations Committee.

A complete roster of members for all committees will be available by January 10, 1997. The Update will report on the membership of committees of interest to community colleges in its January 10 report.

Bill Introduction Begins

After the November 5 elections, the newly elected officials came to Sacramento on December 2 to be sworn into office and elect their leaders for the 1997 legislative session. It was also an opportunity to start the deluge of bills members will be introducing over the next two years. On December 2, more than 120 bills were introduced, at least one for every legislator.

The following is a brief summary of those bills introduced that could have an impact on community colleges (a more detailed analysis will be provided in the January 10, 1997 Update "Bills at a Glance."):

SB 12, by Senator Jack O'Connell (D-Carpinteria) (formerly Preprint SB 18) is a measure that would enact the 1998 Class Size Reduction and Educational Technology K-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act. The measure provides for $3 billion to be allocated to K-12 schools and $1 billion for higher education facilities (community colleges, California State University and University of California).

AB 40, by Assembly Member Kerry Mazzoni (D-Novato), chair of the Assembly Education Committee is another public education bond act. This measure is a $5 billion bond that would allocate $4 billion to K-12 schools and $1 billion to public higher education institutions.

AB 55, also by Assembly Member Mazzoni, would change the voting requirement for local bond and parcel tax measure to a 58% requirement rather than the current two-thirds vote requirement. A vote of the state electorate to amend the State Constitution would be required and as a result, she has also introduced ACA 5.

AB 13, by Brooks Firestone (R-Los Olivos), would establish the California Postsecondary Educational Scholarshare Trust Act. Scholarshare would establish a program that allows participants to invest monies for future postsecondary educational costs. This bill is identical to legislation introduced last legislative session by Assembly Member Brooks Firestone that was vetoed by the Governor.

AB 37, also by Assembly Member Firestone, is similar to legislation he introduced in the prior legislative session. This bill would authorize public institutions of higher education to submit claims to K-12 school districts for the cost of providing remedial instruction in English or mathematics to students who earned a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher. This bill failed passage last session.

ACA 3, by Assembly Member Kevin Murray (D-Los Angeles), would express findings regarding the diversity of the state's population. The measure would amend the California Constitution by adding the California Civil Rights Initiative of 1998, which would provide that, notwithstanding any other provision of state law, the state may take all actions it deems necessary to promote and enhance equal access and opportunities for public education, public employment, and public contracting. Obviously, this measure is an attempt to reduce the impact of Proposition 209.

ACA 2, by Assembly Member Jim Morrissey (R-Santa Ana), is a measure that would amend the California Constitution so that if the budget bill is not passed by the Legislature before midnight on June 30, any salary or reimbursement for travel or living expenses for the Governor and each member of the legislature shall be forfeited for the period from midnight on June 30 until the date that the budget bill is enacted. There is always one bill introduced at the beginning of a new legislative session that attempts to penalize legislators for not getting a State Budget adopted on time. ACA 2 is it for this year and will likely suffer the same fate as similar bills in prior years &emdash; failure.

&emdash; Arnold Bray
[Posted 12/20/96]