SAN DIEGO — “The governor’s call to suspend Proposition 98, the state’s minimum school funding law, because he and a few Republican senators failed to do their jobs and pass a fair state budget by the July 1 deadline is totally unacceptable. After forcing the state into fiscal bankruptcy, he wants to take more money from schools, children’s programs and health care.
“California public schools and colleges have already been cut by a record $12 billion. Summer school classes have been eliminated, class sizes are increasing, and more than 27,000 teachers received layoff notices this year. These numbers are astounding. Our schools and children are hurting.
“Enough is enough! Instead of always cutting education and other vital services first, it’s time to rescind the corporate tax breaks handed out earlier this year and tax oil production like every other state in the country. And it’s time for real budget reform, including reducing the two-thirds vote requirement to pass a state budget. The partisan politics and gridlock are destroying our state.
“The Assembly had already passed a compromise budget fix that would have limited program cuts, restored some funding for schools, student loans and health care for poor children, and would have raised some state revenues. But because the governor and Republican senators failed to act, the governor is calling for a special session of the Legislature and the suspension of the state’s minimum school funding law.
“Students and schools didn’t cause this problem, and their education should not be undermined to solve it. Our children are our future. We should be trying to build one for them.”