Opposed Assembly GOP Plan Fails
Building on its statewide mobilization, CTA on July 3 sent all lawmakers a letter urging them to pass the governor's revised budget and to reject a recently surfaced Assembly Republican proposal that would make $1.5 billion in devastating new cuts to schools. On Sunday, July 6, all Assembly Democrats and several Assembly Republicans voted in line with the CTA position, defeating the Republican proposal on a 27-45 vote. To pass, the Republican proposal would have needed a two-thirds margin or 54 votes.
While the proposal was overwhelmingly defeated, CTA representatives are keeping a wary eye on elements of the plan to help guard against the possibility that they will be included in any other budget proposal.
CTA President Barbara E. Kerr, a kindergarten and first grade teacher from Riverside, called the GOP budget plan an irresponsible attack on some of our state's youngest learners. "This proposal sank to a new low by targeting some of our most vulnerable students in one of their most important school years," said Kerr. "I'd invite any legislator who supports a plan like this to come tell these children and their families why they can't go to school."
Five Republicans joined all Assembly Democrats in refusing to vote for the CTA-opposed spending plan. They were Lynn Daucher (R-Brea), Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City), Shirley Horton (R-Chula Vista), Abel Maldonado (R- Santa Maria), and Keith Richman (R-Northridge).
"We oppose the draconian proposals contained in the Assembly Republican budget," wrote CTA Manager of Legislative Relations Lynne Faulks in the CTA letter to lawmakers. "California Teachers Association strongly opposes the Assembly Republican Budget in its entirety and its proposal to delay kindergarten entrance in particular. [The plan] contains over 1.5 billion dollars in additional cuts to K-12 education over and above the May Revision. It targets the youngest and most vulnerable students for cuts."
"The proposal also bans over 100,000 students from entering kindergarten this fall, with no warning or notice to families," the letter continues. "The Assembly Republicans' plan would also eliminate the High Priority Schools Program that serves our schools of greatest need. Many of the programs cut will hurt students across the state, but the cuts are particularly aimed at those students in urban settings and those most vulnerable."
The proposal to shut more than 100,000 students out of kindergarten is particularly ill-advised, CTA representatives say. "Research shows that students need more time in the classroom, but the Assembly Republicans are promoting less time for California's youngest learners," Faulks wrote.
"CTA continues to support the governor's Revised Budget as reflected in the Budget Conference Committee Report," noted the CTA letter. "CTA knows that the budget gap can only be resolved by a combination of reductions and increased tax revenues. For that reason, we support the half-cent cent sales tax as the only reasonable option to address the deficit."
Like CTA, education community representatives also opposed the new Assembly Republican plan, which would bridge the vast $38.2 billion budget gap without the temporary sales tax increase. The Assembly Republican plan would also block the automatic increase of the Vehicle License Fee (VLF) triggered by the state's desperate fiscal condition. The VLF is slated to return to its 1998 levels beginning on October 1. The VLF increase alone will provide an estimated $4 billion annually to avoid more devastating cuts in education and other programs, CTA analysts say.
In slashing another $1.5 billion in school reductions from the governor's revised budget proposal, the GOP plan would cut $636 million more from the K-12 budget by raising the starting age for kindergarten without making any provisions for these displaced youngsters to attend alternative pre-school educational programs.
The Assembly GOP plan would slash another $520 million by shifting certain childcare charges to Proposition 98's educational trust fund. Analysts say this transfer of billing would violate the state constitution. The Republican plan would also reduce funding for the education of youngsters in correctional institutions by another $87 million through a deferral.
In addition, the Republican proposal would cut still another $420 million from the University of California and another $210 million from the California State University system.
Despite Warnings, California Starts New Year without Budget
California entered its new fiscal year without a budget in place, despite dire warnings from parents, students, teachers, public safety officers, and state officials that schools and other vital services would suffer.
Some school funding will be held up, and no state funding for community colleges will be sent at all. Shortly, many state employees may begin receiving paychecks reflecting just the California minimum hourly wage, due to a recent court decision.
Those warnings about the impact of the budget delay were reiterated on July 1 at a Capitol news conference. Gov. Gray Davis - flanked by educators, firefighters, and public safety officers - urged lawmakers again to set aside partisan differences. He called on them to approve a budget quickly to stave off further cuts that would decimate classrooms and police and fire protection.
"Lawmakers have an assignment due and they are late," CTA's Legislative Manager Lynne Faulks told reporters during the news conference. "It's past time for them to complete their work by approving a new budget that includes a modest tax increase and no further cuts for schools."
Those sentiments were echoed the next day by State Treasurer Phil Angelides and educators who gathered at an Elk Grove elementary school.
Angelides stated his strong opposition to the newly released Assembly Republican spending proposal, which would bar many youngsters from starting kindergarten: "What has it come to when one of the richest societies in history is talking about delaying the education of children," he said.
Thus far, those warnings have not forced legislators to break the deadlock. As
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went to press, the Senate had not taken up a budget bill again - following the refusal by Senate Republicans to give its version the needed two-thirds margin.
The Assembly's defeat of the new Assembly Republican version on July 6 represented the Assembly's first new action on the budget since June 30, when the Assembly Republicans refused to vote for that house's version of the governor's revised budget. The Assembly Republicans oppose the governor's proposal because it contains a temporary half-cent sales tax increase designed to stave off further cuts in school appropriations.
CTA Members:
Continue contacting your state Senators and Assembly Members. Urge them to approve quickly the governor's revised proposal that balances the budget with a minor tax increase to prevent even deeper cuts in classroom spending. Urge them to continue opposing the Assembly Republican proposal or any similar plan that would slash another $1.5 billion in school funding from the governor's revised budget.