The Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees have been busy deliberating over 500 bills that have now advanced to the floor. The Legislature has 10 days to make decisions on what moves forward to the Governor bythe September 11th deadline.

There’s not much action in the Education arena because lots of dollar$ were already allocated in the state budget process or other actions already approved by the Governor (additional LCFF (Local Control Funding Formula)one-time funding, CTE and Adult Ed grants, the vaccination bill, and 2015 CAHSEE exemption, etc.).

Here are some highlights on what the Appropriations Committees felt were worthy of further attention:
• SB 172 – Retain the high school exit exam for three years, but, effective immediately, not require its passage as a condition of graduation
• AB 30 – Ban the term “Redskins” as a school mascot name
• AB 288 – Allow community colleges to expand dual enrollment opportunities under the College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP)
• AB 146 – Expand on teaching the real history of the state of CA to include the unconstitutional deportations of immigrants back to Mexico during the Great Depression
• SB334 – Test the drinking water at schools to make sure it’s clean and lead free
• SB 42 – Establish a state Office of Higher Education Performance and Accountability (OHEPA)

By Government Relations Committee