Tell Governor and GOP Senators: Stop the Games; Pass Budget Now to Repay Schools

June 30, 2009

It’s time to send Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Republican State Senators an important message: stop your political grandstanding. Pass a fair state budget now that repays schools more than $9.3 billion in desperately needed funding.

Time is running out. The Assembly has already passed a compromise budget fix that will help prevent the state from having to pay its bills with IOUs, virtually worthless promissory notes that banks may not honor or cash. The Assembly compromise will limit program cuts and raise some state revenues.

But instead of supporting this compromise, the governor and Republican members of the state Senate are continuing to play political games. The future of our students and the fates of our dedicated educators and educational support professionals have been hanging in the balance while the governor and these Republican lawmakers bicker and posture. Republican Senators say they won’t vote for the compromise, and the governor is threatening to veto it.

CTA Asks You to Call the Governor and Republican Senators NOW!

Call the governor and the Republican legislators whose numbers are listed below. Make two major points:

Tell Them To Pass a Fair State Budget Now.
Lawmakers need to approve and the governor needs to sign a fair budget that limits cuts and that raises some revenues.

The compromise budget approved in the Assembly restores some funding for student loans and health care for poor children.

The legislature and the governor should raise taxes on oil and tobacco companies, instead of making more devastating cuts to vital state programs.

Tell Them to Repay Money Owed to Schools by Enacting AB 42xxx/ SB33xxx.
Two identical measures – AB 42xxx and SB 33xxx -- would repay schools the money they are owed under the state's minimum school funding law, Proposition 98.

AB 42xxx and SB 33xxx would set up a repayment plan that would restore the funding to public schools as the economy improves. Ask them to enact the bills.

Call the governor and the legislators listed below today. Your calls can help us win this fight.
 
Tell the governor and lawmakers how cuts are hurting your students – tell your stories!

Call Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841

Call Republican State Senators at their numbers below: