GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. THANK
YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AS YOU
KNOW, WE ARE HAVING SEVERAL
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEES ALL MEETING
THE SAME TIME. AND I WAS AT,
SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, AN ISSUE
RELATED TO EDUCATION, CSU LEGAL
SERVICES THAT IS TECHNICALLY IN
A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE. SO, BUT
WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT HERE AS
WELL. SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT
SLIGHT DELAY, BUT WITH THAT, WE
WILL BEGIN OUR ASSEMBLY BUDGET
SUBCOMMITTEE NUMBER THREE ON
EDUCATION FINANCE. I AM CHAIR
DAVID ALVAREZ. AND TODAY IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR, MEMBERS OF
OUR, ASSEMBLY TO GET CLARITY ON
ANY ISSUES THAT ARE PENDING IN
THE BUDGET ACT FOR THIS YEAR.
AND SUB THREE, OBVIOUSLY NOT
EVERY MEMBER GETS TO SERVE ON
THIS COMMITTEE. AND SO THIS IS
AN OPPORTUNITY THAT, OUR BUDGET
CHAIR AND OUR, OUR ASSEMBLY
SPEAKER, HAS IDENTIFIED AS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE TO GET
A CHANCE TO SHARE THEIR, THEIR,
THEIR THOUGHTS AND ALSO TO ASK
QUESTIONS THAT PERHAPS WE HAVE
NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET AN ANSWER
FOR THROUGH THIS PROCESS. SO I
KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL
QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ASKED
THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT STILL
REMAIN TO BE ANSWERED. WE WILL,
MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THOSE TO
THE RESPECTIVE, ORGANIZATIONS,
AGENCIES, OR, OR INSTITUTIONS IN
ORDER FOR THEM TO BE ANSWERED
PRIOR TO US TAKING FULL ACTION
IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, I
WANTED TO START, OBVIOUSLY,
MEMBERS, YOU ALL HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND
ALSO PROVIDE COMMENTS HERE AT
THE BEGINNING, BUT I WANTED TO
SET THE STAGE AS WE HAVE NOW,
COMING HERE TO THE END OF OUR,
PUBLIC PROCESS WITH THIS ROBUST
PUBLIC PROCESS, I SHOULD SAY
THIS IS OUR 12TH MEETING OF THIS
COMMITTEE GOING BACK TO FEBRUARY
, WHERE WE BEGAN OUR,
COMMITTEE'S WORK WITH THE
PRESENCE OF STUDENTS FROM OUR,
THREE SEGMENTS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION. AND REALLY TO BE
FOCUSED CONTINUOUSLY ON STUDENT
ACCESS SUCCESS AND OPPORTUNITY.
AND I THINK THE HEARINGS HAVE
ALL BEEN CENTERED AROUND THAT,
BUT ON THE K TO 12 ISSUES, THERE
ARE SOME CONCERNS THAT REMAIN
THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AND
ONCE AGAIN, BRING TO EVERYONE'S
ATTENTION THE ARCHITECTURE OF
PROPOSITION 98, WE NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT SCHOOLS ARE HELD
HARMLESS, BUT ADDRESS THE REAL
PRIOR YEAR SHORTFALL THAT EXISTS
. THAT IS STILL SOMETHING THAT
REMAINS TO BE ANSWERED, WE WANT
TO PRESERVE RAINY DAY FUNDS AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND NOT RELY ON
THOSE FUNDS FOR NEW OR ONGOING
EXPENDITURES, AS MUCH AS WE
POSSIBLY CAN AVOID THAT, PROTECT
PROTECTING ONGOING PRIORITIES
AND MAKING SOME REAL DIFFICULT
CHOICES THAT ARE ONE TIME,
HOPEFULLY IN NATURE. WE NEED TO
CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM ON SOME OF
THE GROWTH THAT'S BEEN
HAPPENING. THANKS TO THE
INVESTMENTS THAT, CERTAINLY THE
ASSEMBLY. BUT IN CONJUNCTION
WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND THE
GOVERNOR, INCLUDING SCHOOL MEALS
, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS,
UNIVERSAL PRE-K AND ETHNIC
STUDIES, TO NAME A FEW OF THE
IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS. SO WE
HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT IN SAYING
NO NEW BUDGET, SAYING NO TO NEW
BUDGET YEAR SPENDING WITH RAINY
DAY FUNDS IN PARTICULAR, WE WANT
TO PROTECT THE GOLDEN STATE
TEACHERS PROGRAM, LEVERAGE BONDS
FOR PRIORITIES AT RISK, SUCH AS
CHILD CARE AND TK FACILITIES AND
ELECTRIC VEHICLE, SCHOOL BUSSES,
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO KEEP
THE HARM AWAY FROM KIDS AND
THEIR LEARNING. PREVENTING
LAYOFFS ON THE HIGHER EDUCATION
SIDE SIDE TOP ISSUES THAT REMAIN
IS ENSURING THAT WE MOVE FORWARD
ON CAL GRANT REFORM THAT HAS
BEEN VERY CONSISTENT BY
COLLEAGUES IN THE ASSEMBLY. I AM
CERTAIN YOU WILL HEAR FROM SOME
OF THEM HERE TODAY, CSEC HAS
DEVELOPED PHASE IN OPTIONS THAT
COULD LAUNCH THE PROGRAM IN 25,
26. AND THAT IS, MY GOAL. I HOPE
WE REACH THAT TOGETHER.
PROTECTING STUDENTS AND CORE
CAMPUS OPERATIONS FROM CUTS TO
THE UK, SU AND CSU WHEREVER
POSSIBLE AND TO ENSURE OUR TOP
PRIORITY FOR èC AND C¯ èC
ISSUE IS THAT ENROLLMENT
CONTINUES TO GROW WITH A
PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON OUR
CALIFORNIA STUDENTS, THIS IS A
MUCH HIGHER PRIORITY TO US THAN
ANY OF THE OTHER GOALS IN THE
COMPACT, AS WE DISCUSSED AS
RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK. SO WITH
THAT, I THINK THAT'S A SUMMARY
OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN. HAVE YOU
BEEN PART OF THIS JOURNEY FOR
THE LAST 11 MEETINGS, THIS HAS
BEEN CONSISTENT. AND, HERE WE
ARE TODAY. SO, WANT TO HEAR
FEEDBACK FOR SURE FROM THE
PUBLIC, BUT AT THE MOMENT, I'D
LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO MY
COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR THOUGHTS
AND THEIR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
MISS CARILLO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
START AND WELCOME? THANK YOU.
I'LL GET MY NOTES OUT, WELL,
AGAIN, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND
ALL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND
THE STAFF FOR YOUR DILIGENT WORK
RELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR
COMMITTEE AND THE FUTURE OF
EDUCATION IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. AND THANK YOU FOR
ALLOWING NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS
LIKE MYSELF TO COME EXPRESS OUR
THOUGHTS AND SOME CONCERNS. SO
I'M HERE FOR ONE SINGULAR
PARTICULAR REASON. I AM THE
CHAIR OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON
LATINA INEQUITIES, A COMMITTEE
THAT WAS ESTABLISHED A FEW YEARS
AGO, BY THE LATINO CAUCUS AND
HAS EVOLVED SINCE THEN. WE HAVE
WORKED FOR NUMEROUS YEARS TO
CREATE, REALLY AN EQUITABLE LENS
TOWARDS LATINAS IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. WE ARE THE LATINAS.
I INCLUDE MYSELF IN THAT ARE THE
LARGEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC IN
THE STATE, FAR SURPASSING OUR
MALE COUNTERPARTS. IN FACT, IN
THE LATINO CAUCUS, THERE ARE
MORE WOMEN NOW. WE HAVE
DISCUSSED BEING CALLED A LATINA
CAUCUS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. BUT I
WANT TO BRING TO LIGHT,
SOMETHING THAT HAS TAKEN US
QUITE A FEW YEARS TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND WE MOVED IT FORWARD, IN THE
2022, 23, BUDGET CYCLE, WE WERE
ABLE TO ALLOCATE, WE WERE ABLE
TO ALLOCATE FUNDING 13.7 MILLION
FOR THE LATINA FUTURES 2050 LAB,
SPEARHEADED BY THE CHICANO
STUDIES RESEARCH CENTER IN
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LATINO
POLICY POLITICS INSTITUTE. AS
THIS WAS A PRIORITY TO THE
LATINO CAUCUS, THESE ONE TIME
FUNDS WERE ALLOCATED AGAIN IN
THE 2023 YEAR BUDGET CYCLE. THE
LATINA FUTURES 2050 LAB
ENVISIONED EQUITY FOR LATINAS,
BY EXTENSION, ALL WOMEN OF COLOR
BY 2050, AND TO DATE, THE LAB
HAS DEVELOPED A ROBUST STRATEGIC
PLAN TO REACH OUR STATED GOALS
AND LAUNCHED A STRATEGIC
RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS ADDRESSING EQUITY
AND INCLUSION FOR RACIALLY
DIVERSE LATINAS, WHICH INCLUDE
BLACK AND INDIGENOUS LATINAS.
AND FROM THESE BREAKING GLASS
CEILINGS TO THE STATE'S LOWEST
PAID WORKERS AND ELIMINATING
THIS FUNDING AT THIS CRITICAL
POINT WOULD NOT ONLY UNDERMINE
ALL OF OUR EFFORTS TO ADVOCATE
FOR GENDER EQUITY, BUT REALLY
FOR THE POLITICAL POLARITY OF
ALL WOMEN OF COLOR IN
CALIFORNIA, BUT WOULD ALSO SET
THE STATE ON A PATHWAY THAT
FAILS TO LEVERAGE THE COLLECTIVE
POTENTIAL AND POWER OF ONE OF
OUR GREATEST ASSETS. WHEN YOU
EMPOWER WOMEN, YOU EMPOWER
FAMILIES, AND WHEN YOU EMPOWER
LATINA WOMEN, YOU EMPOWER THE
FUTURE OF THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. AND SO THIS IS
CRITICAL, CRITICAL FUNDING THAT
TOOK YEARS TO ACCOMPLISH. AND AT
ONE POINT 13.7 MILLION WAS
BUDGET DUST IN OUR IN OUR STATE
BUDGET OVERALL. BUT WHEN WE
INVEST AND CONTINUE TO INVEST IN
THE FUTURE OF WOMEN AND THE
FUTURE OF LATINAS WITH THE
LATINA FUTURES 2050 LAB, WE ARE
INVESTING IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. SO I WOULD URGE THIS
COMMITTEE TO PUSH BACK ON THE
REMOVAL OF THIS THESE FUNDS
THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S. MÀ MAY
BUDGET, REVISE AND CONTINUE TO
ADVOCATE FOR THE LARGEST
DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA THAT CONTINUES TO NOT
HAVE THE REPRESENTATION AND A
VARIETY OF DIFFERENT LEVELS,
WHETHER IT'S THE PUBLIC SECTOR,
WHETHER IT'S NONPROFIT, WHETHER
IT'S THE C-SUITE, AND CERTAINLY
IN LOW WAGE JOBS, LATINAS ARE A
IMPORTANT ASPECT TO THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, AND I WOULD
ENCOURAGE THAT. WE CONTINUE TO
FIGHT FOR THESE THESE FUNDS AND
REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THE FUTURE
OF THE STATE. THANK YOU FOR
LETTING ME SHARE MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, MISS CARILLO
APPRECIATE YOUR, PRESENCE HERE
TODAY. AND THIS IS ALSO THE
OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO
ASK QUESTIONS, OF THE MAY,
REVISION PROPOSAL AS TO WHY THIS
PARTICULAR PROGRAM WAS,
ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATED IN TERMS
OF FUNDING AS IT RELATES TO THE
MANY OTHER PROGRAMS. SO I DON'T
KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT
OPPORTUNITY NOW OR YOU WANT TO
WAIT. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT
I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO ASK
DIRECTLY? YES. THAT IS WHAT THIS
OPPORTUNITY IS FOR. THAT WOULD
BE WONDERFUL. I WOULD LIKE TO
ACTUALLY ASK THE ADMINISTRATION,
TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE SOME
THOUGHTS AS TO WHY THIS FUNDING
IS, ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING,
CHAIR ALVAREZ AND MEMBERS, THANK
YOU, ASSEMBLY MEMBER WENDY
CARRILLO FOR YOUR QUESTION, THE
PROPOSAL REFLECTS, DIFFERENT
SOLUTIONS THAT INCLUDED DELAYS.
REDUCTIONS. BUT OUR GOAL WAS TO
PROTECT MAIN CORE FUNDING. THE
PROPOSAL IS NOT A REFLECTION
ABOUT THE POLICY, REGARDING THE
CENTERS, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO
FIND SOLUTIONS AS. I'M SORRY, I
WOULD ASK THAT YOU SPEAK A
LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE MIC,
PLEASE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. IS
THAT BETTER? YES. THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING. AND GABRIELA
CHÁVEZ WITH DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE, THE PROPOSAL IS A
REFLECTION OF DIFFERENT
SOLUTIONS THAT WE TOOK DURING
MAY REVISION, WE WERE TRYING TO
PROTECT CORE PROGRAMS, SO WE
TOOK DELAYS, REDUCTION ACTIONS,
IT'S NOT A REFLECTION OF THE
POLICY STATEMENT REGARDING THE
CENTERS. WE WERE JUST TRYING TO
FIND SOLUTIONS. RESPECTFULLY, I
WOULD SAY THAT CUTTING FUNDING
TO A PROGRAM THAT IS ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF THE STATE AND THE
POPULATION OF THE STATE, IS NOT
IN ALIGNMENT OR IN VALUE TO THE
BUDGET PROCESS AND TO WHAT THE
LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN ADVOCATING
AND FIGHTING FOR DECADES,
ESPECIALLY AS WE TALK ABOUT
CENSUS NUMBERS, DATA, GENDER
EQUITY, WHICH IS A PRIORITY TO
THE FIRST PARTNER AND TO THE
GOVERNOR, AND WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT, PROTECTING CORE PROGRAMS,
THIS IS A PRIORITY TO THE
LARGEST ETHNIC CAUCUS IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE
LARGEST ETHNIC CAUCUS IN THE
COUNTRY. AND SO THIS IS A CORE
PROGRAM TO THE MAJORITY OF THE
LEGISLATORS IN CALIFORNIA. AND
SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU
RECONSIDER, BECAUSE THIS IS,
THIS IS CLEARLY VERY IMPORTANT
TO US AND TO THE FUTURE OF THE
STATE. AND I'D WANT TO SEE A
COMPARISON AS TO WHY YOU THOUGHT
TAKING THIS OUT OF THE BUDGET
AND COMPARISON TO WHAT? WHAT
WOULD BE THE OTHER CORE PROGRAM
THAT YOU ARE SAVING AS YOU
REMOVE THIS? THE CORE PROGRAMS
INCLUDE A FINANCIAL AID, MOST OF
THE FUNDING FOR THE SEGMENTS
MEDI-CAL, SUPPLEMENT BENEFITS,
AND CHRIS FERGUSON WITH FINANCE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY
RESPECT AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY
WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. AND AS
WE WORK TOWARD A FINAL BUDGET
DEAL, WITH THE LEGISLATURE, I
HAVE NO DOUBT, YOU KNOW, FUNDING
FOR THIS WILL COME UP IN THOSE
DISCUSSIONS, I THINK, YOU KNOW,
WE WOULDN'T SAY THAT THERE'S ANY
ONE PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT WE
CAN POINT TO. I KNOW YOU, MISS
CHÁVEZ HAS LISTED MANY, BUT I
THINK IT WAS REALLY AROUND CORE
ONGOING FUNDING AND PRIORITIES,
BUT CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY
WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND
UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE WORK
TOWARD A FINAL BUDGET DEAL, THIS
IS A TOPIC THAT WE NEED TO WORK
THROUGH. I WOULD JUST ADD,
BECAUSE I'VE HEARD YOU ALSO MISS
CARRILLO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ADVOCACY ON THIS, THAT THERE ARE
OTHER PROGRAMS THAT REMAIN FULLY
FUNDED. AND SO WHAT WE'VE ASKED
IN TRYING TO BE COLLABORATIVE
AND PROBLEM SOLVING IS TO TRY TO
IDENTIFY SAVINGS, PERHAPS FROM A
LONG LIST OF PROJECTS, AND TAKE
A LITTLE BIT FROM EVERYBODY, AS
OPPOSED TO ELIMINATING ONE IN
PARTICULAR. I KNOW THERE'S
PROBABLY FOLKS HERE ON THE èC
LABOR èC LABOR CENTERS AS WELL.
THAT'S THE APPROACH THAT WE
THINK MIGHT BE SPREADING THE
PAIN, AS OPPOSED TO IDENTIFYING
SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AND COMPLETELY
ELIMINATING THEM. SO I CAN, YOU
KNOW, COMMIT TO YOU THAT THAT'S
THE APPROACH THAT WE HOPE THAT,
WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT UPON ON
THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. THANK
YOU. NAZARIAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO
GO NEXT OR, AND CAN YOU JUST
MENTION THE ISSUE? SO WE CAN
HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE COME AS
WELL, I ACTUALLY WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THE NURSING PROGRAMS AND
COMMUNITY COLLEGES. SO I ALSO
JUST WANT TO THANK THE CHAIR,
OBVIOUSLY, OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE,
THE CHAIR OF THE BUDGET AND THE
SPEAKER FOR ALLOWING US MEMBERS
THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE BUDGET
COMMITTEE TO CHIME IN ON WHAT
OUR CRITICAL INVESTMENTS THAT
ARE INCLUDED IN THIS YEAR'S
BUDGET AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE
OUR INPUT AS YOU GUYS ARE
FINALIZING EITHER REDUCTIONS,
DEFERRALS AND SO FORTH. AND SO
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT FOR ME
HAS BEEN, FRONT AND CENTER IN
TERMS OF MY LEGISLATIVE
PRIORITIES IS KIND OF IN LINE
WITH, WITH, HEALTH CARE ACCESS
AND THE ISSUES THAT THE CENTRAL
VALLEY HAS FACED AS A RESULT OF
YOU GUYS ALL KNOW MADERA
COMMUNITY HOSPITAL CLOSING AND
REALIZING THAT WE HAVE A
SIGNIFICANT SHORTAGE OF NURSES
THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT IMPACTED
THE CLOSURE OF MADERA HOSPITAL
BECAUSE WE WERE MOSTLY RELYING
ON TRAVELERS. YOU KNOW, I THINK
40% OF THE NURSES THAT WERE
HIRED, AT MADERA COMMUNITY
HOSPITAL WERE TRAVELERS. THAT
MEANT THAT THERE WERE LIKE TEN
TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE, AND SO
REALLY CREATED A FISCAL ISSUE
FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THIS
HOSPITAL. AND SO REALIZING THAT
WE HAVE A WORKFORCE CHALLENGE,
ESPECIALLY IN THE REGION THAT I
REPRESENT, YOU KNOW, I DID
NOTICE THAT THE GOVERNOR THIS
YEAR, INCLUDED A $60 MILLION
INVESTMENT IN TERMS OF
WORKFORCE, WHICH I'M INCREDIBLY
GRATEFUL FOR. I KNOW THE DETAILS
ARE, YOU KNOW, BEING WORKED ON.
AND I DO HAVE A PIECE OF
LEGISLATION, A B 20 104. AND I
WANTED TO, JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT
ONE. YOU KNOW, WHY WE ARE,
REALLY ELEVATING COMMUNITY
COLLEGES FOR MY AREA, WHICH IS
CONSIDERED A MEDICALLY
UNDERSERVED AREA, STUDENTS, YOU
KNOW, DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
MAYBE TO GO TO A STATE SCHOOL,
BUT THOSE MAJORITY OF THOSE
FOLKS THAT DON'T BECAUSE EITHER
TRANSPORTATION THEN ARE EITHER
RELEGATED TO GOING TO VERY
PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. AND SO WE
THINK THAT COMMUNITY COLLEGES
ARE REALLY, THE VENUE THAT COULD
PROVIDE MORE ACCESS AND THEN
AFFORDABILITY AS THEY'RE TRYING
TO PURSUE A BACHELOR'S IN
NURSING, WHICH IS NOW MUCH MORE
COMMONLY REQUIRED IN THE HEALTH
CARE SPACE. AND SO I REALLY WANT
TO, YOU KNOW, SEE OUR POLICY
ADVANCE AND TO WORK THROUGH THE
DETAILS. BUT I DID HAVE, SOME
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF,
WHAT WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF THE
STATE THAT, YOU KNOW, EITHER THE
GOVERNOR HAS IDENTIFIED AND ALSO
MAYBE A QUESTION TO THE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TO SEE IF YOU
GUYS ARE THINKING ABOUT SPECIFIC
AREAS, JUSTIN HURST WITH THE
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, I'LL JUST
NOTE THAT THE 60, $60 MILLION
INVESTMENT, AND THE ASSOCIATED
TRAILER BILL REFLECTS THE
AGREEMENT THAT WAS MADE AT THE
2023 BUDGET ACT. AND AS WE THE
ADMINISTRATION HAS MENTIONED IN
PREVIOUS HEARINGS, AND CHAIR
ALVAREZ MENTIONED TODAY, WE ARE
STILL WORKING WITH THE
LEGISLATURE ON FINALIZING WHAT
THAT LANGUAGE WOULD LOOK LIKE
AND HOW THAT INVESTMENT WILL BE
SPENT. SO I JUST HAD THAT YOU
KNOW, AS A RESULT, WE COULDN'T
SPEAK TO SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE
STATE THAT MIGHT BE FOCUSED ON
WITH THOSE RESOURCES, BECAUSE
THAT TRAILER BILL IS STILL
PENDING. OKAY. AND
ASSEMBLYMEMBER DAVID O'BRIEN,
WITH THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGES CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE, I
WANT TO THANK YOU FOR RAISING
THE QUESTION. AND JUST NOTE
THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THIS TIME, WE
HAVEN'T THAT WOULD ARGUABLY BE
PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE
HORSE IN TERMS OF PLANNING
SPECIFICALLY FOR REGIONS AND
THINGS OF THAT NATURE. HOWEVER,
WE ARE TRACKING WHAT THE
RESEARCH AND THE DATA SHOW. AND
ACCORDING TO UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO, IT IS
THE CENTRAL VALLEY AS WELL AS,
INTERESTINGLY, SAN FRANCISCO AND
THE CENTRAL COAST REGIONS THAT
HAVE THE GREATEST SORT OF
PROJECTED SHORTAGE, YOU KNOW,
BEYOND, YOU KNOW, INTO THE OUT
YEARS. SO WE'RE JUST WE'RE SORT
OF TRACKING SOME OF THAT
INFORMATION AND, AND MAKING SURE
WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT THE
RESEARCH AND THE DATA SHOW.
ABSOLUTELY AND THANK YOU FOR
THAT. AND I KNOW THAT OBVIOUSLY,
THERE'S A COUPLE PIECES OF
LEGISLATION, BUT I DID WANT TO
KIND OF UNDERSTAND AND, YOU
KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND DISCUSS
THIS. SO I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
I AM VERY INTERESTED, OBVIOUSLY,
IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY REGION,
BECAUSE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE
DATA, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WHAT
WE'RE SEEING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE
JUST EXPERIENCED A CLOSURE OF A
HOSPITAL AS A RESULT OF, OF THIS
LABOR CHALLENGE. AND SO I'M
LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO
WORK WITH FOLKS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THOSE DETAILS ARE FINALIZED
AND THEN THAT OUR REGION REALLY
ENDS UP, BENEFITING FROM THE
NEEDED INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO
REALLY FULFILL THE PROMISES THAT
WE'VE MADE. I THINK IN FROM THE
STATE, BOTH THE GOVERNOR AND THE
LEGISLATURE, AND HAVING ACCESS
TO HEALTH CARE AS WE'VE EXPANDED
MEDI-CAL AND SO FORTH. BUT
AGAIN, MEDICAL HAVING MEDI-CAL
IS ONE THING, BUT BEING ABLE TO
GO GET CARE, SEE, SEEING A
DOCTOR OR HAVING A NURSE THAT IS
CULTURALLY COMPETENT AS WELL, I
THINK IS VERY CRITICAL WHEN IT
COMES TO ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
AND EQUITY IN THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA. SO THAT THAT WAS
REALLY MY INTEREST IN MAKING
SURE THAT Ã THAT I EXPRESS MY
INTEREST IN MAKING SURE THAT
THAT FUNDING STAYS, REMAINS. AND
I KNOW THAT, AS OF AT LEAST THE,
THE, THE REVISION OF THE BUDGET,
THOSE, THOSE FUNDING, THE
FUNDING IS STILL THERE. AND SO
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING
WITH FOLKS TO, OUTLINE THOSE
DETAILS THAT OBVIOUSLY, THE
GOVERNOR IS LOOKING AT. AND THEN
ALSO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CHANCELLOR AS WELL, IS LOOKING
AT THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND
I'LL JUST ADD, AS WE'VE HAD
THOSE CONVERSATIONS HERE, THAT
WE WANT TO DEPLOY THESE
RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES THAT
CLEARLY ARE IN NEED OF THESE
PROGRAMS. AND I THINK, MISSOURI
HAS GOT A COMMUNITY THAT'S
CLEARLY IN NEED. BUT ALSO, I
LIKE TO ALWAYS CALL ATTENTION TO
THEIR SOME URBAN AREAS WHERE THE
NEEDS EXIST AS WELL. AND SO
WHAT, WHAT I'VE FEEDBACK THAT
I'VE GIVEN IN THAT WE HOPE WILL
BE, WHERE WE EXPECT TO BE PART
OF THE, THIS FINAL BUDGET
AGREEMENT IS THAT WE CAN DEPLOY
THESE PROGRAMS AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE, AND SOME OF THEM MIGHT
BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM. OTHERS MIGHT BE
STANDALONE BECAUSE THERE IS NO
INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACES LIKE
THE CENTRAL VALLEY. SO WE'VE GOT
TO BE NIMBLE WITH THAT. BUT ALSO
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DEPLOY
THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS
WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT THERE ARE
A LOT OF, UNSPENT FUNDS THAT
WERE COMMITTED A FEW YEARS AGO
AND SO THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE
BEST POSITION TO BE IN WHEN
YOU'VE GOT A BUDGET SHORTFALL.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE BUDGETING
MONEY TO BE SPENT IN A CERTAIN
WAY, IT NEEDS TO BE SPENT AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO WE'RE
CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
DETAILS ON HOW WE CAN DEPLOY
THIS TO OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
AND ALSO TO OUR PARTNERSHIPS
WITH BETWEEN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
AND OUR CSUS IN PARTICULAR. SO
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY, AND
WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO WORK ON
THIS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT,
MR. MURATSUCHI THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. SO AS CHAIR OF THE
EDUCATION COMMITTEE, I HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR, FROM,
SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, OUR
LARGE URBAN DISTRICTS, OUR RURAL
DISTRICTS, OUR SUBURBAN
DISTRICTS, AND I, FIRST OF ALL,
WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, THAT, THAT
I'M HEARING LOUD AND CLEAR, THE,
THE ONGOING, NEEDS, TREMENDOUS
NEEDS THAT ALL OF OUR SCHOOL
DISTRICTS CONTINUE TO FACE,
STILL DEALING WITH THE ONGOING
IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC, THE
EXPIRATION OF THE FEDERAL
FUNDING, DOLLARS, ARE PRESENTING
A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE FOR MANY
OF THE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE
ROLLED OUT PROGRAMS. AND ARE
GOING TO SEE THOSE, DOLLARS DÍAS
EXPIRING, AND SO, YOU KNOW,
OFTENTIMES I, HEAR, DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVES OF
THIS BUDGET, BETWEEN THOSE THAT
ARE UP HERE IN THE STATE CAPITAL
VERSUS THOSE THAT ARE ON THE
FRONT LINES, PROVIDING, YOU
KNOW, EDUCATION TO OUR KIDS, ON
A DAY IN, DAY OUT BASIS. I DO
KNOW, KNOW AND APPRECIATE THE
GOVERNOR FOR HIS STATED, GOAL OF
PROTECTING CLASSROOM FUNDING,
BUT CLEARLY THE, THE BIG,
QUESTION THAT STILL REMAINS TO
BE ADDRESSED IS THE PROPOSITION
98, FUNDING MANEUVER, THAT, IS,
IN MY OPINION, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY
SEEMS TO GO AGAINST THE BASIC,
UNDERSTANDING OF PROPOSITION 98
TO, ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, PAST
FUNDING IN THIS CASE, IN 22, 23
TO CLEARLY REQUIRE THE
RIBBON-CUTTING OF THE GUARANTEE,
THE PROPOSITION 98 GUARANTEE,
NOT ONLY FOR 2223, BUT FOR YEARS
GOING FORWARD, AND SO, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST AN
$8.8 BILLION QUESTION, BUT WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
POTENTIALLY A 11.9, BILLION
DOLLAR, SHORTFALL THAT SCHOOL
DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITY
COLLEGES, SHOULD HAVE COMING TO
THEM. AND SO I KNOW THAT THAT IS
A HUGE NUMBER. I KNOW THAT, MR.
MCCARTY HAD REMINDED ME AND
OTHERS THAT, JUST THE $8 BILLION
IS THE EQUIVALENT OF THE, OF OUR
GENERAL FUND BUDGETS FOR OUR
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA OR
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITIES
COMBINED, TO PUT THE MAGNITUDE
OF THAT FIGURE INTO PERSPECTIVE,
BUT CLEARLY WE NEED TO, DEFEND
THE INTEGRITY OF PROPOSITION 98,
NOT ONLY IN THIS BUDGET YEAR,
BUT GOING FORWARD, I AM HOPING
THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS
COMMITTEE WILL LAND IN A PLACE
WHERE WE WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING
THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED,
PROPOSITION 98 MANEUVER, IN
ORDER TO DEFEND AND PROTECT,
PROPOSITION 98, IN ADDITION, I
JUST WANT TO FLAG, SOME OTHER
ISSUES. AGAIN, APPRECIATE THE
GOVERNOR'S, ONGOING COMMITMENT
TO SOME OF OUR, OUR MAJOR
INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE
LAUNCHED IN RECENT YEARS TO DEAL
WITH THE ONGOING EFFECTS OF THE
PANDEMIC, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, THE
Â LÀ PROGRAMS, THE UNIVERSAL
MEALS, AMONG MANY, AND SO I
APPRECIATE THE GOVERNOR
CONTINUING HIS COMMITMENT TO
THESE IMPORTANT PROGRAMS. THERE
IS THE ONGOING ISSUE OF THE
SLOPE STABILIZATION. WHICH I
UNDERSTAND, MR. CHAIR, THAT,
THAT THERE ARE PLANS TO ADDRESS
THIS ISSUE. BUT, IN ORDER TO
ENSURE THAT OUR DISTRICTS CAN
CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE AFTER
SCHOOL, THE SUMMER SCHOOL
PROGRAMS THAT WE. SO,
DESPERATELY NEED TO IN ORDER TO
CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY AND
ACHIEVEMENT GAPS, WE NEED TO WE
NEED TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE
NUMBER TWO, I KNOW THAT THERE'S,
ONGOING, POLITICAL CONVERSATIONS
IN TERMS OF THE TRANSITIONAL
KINDERGARTEN STUDENT TEACHER
RATIO PENALTIES, I CONTINUE TO
BELIEVE THAT IT'S UNFAIR TO
DISTRICTS THAT DID THE RIGHT
THING TO, TO ROLL OUT THE TK,
PROGRAM, EARLY. AND THEY SHOULD
NOT BE PENALIZED FOR THAT, WANT
TO CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT
CONCERN. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT OUR LAST
HEARING, BUT, THE TEACHER
SHORTAGE CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF
THE, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT
ALL K-12 DISTRICTS CONTINUE TO
FACE, AND AS OF NOW, IT LOOKS
LIKE THE GOLDEN STATE TEACHER
GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN
ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HAD TO
SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, INCENTIVIZING
MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO WANT TO
ASPIRE TO BECOME TEACHERS, FOR
THAT TO BE, EXPIRING. I'M HOPING
THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK,
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OTHER
POTENTIAL AREAS OF CUTS IN ORDER
TO TRY TO PRESERVE AND CONTINUE
TO SUPPORT THE GOLDEN STATE
TEACHER GRANT PROGRAM, THAT WE
PRIORITIZE THIS PROGRAM AS A
CRITICAL WAY TO CONTINUE TO
ADDRESS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGES FACING K-12
DISTRICTS, THAT OF OUR TEACHER
SHORTAGE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
THANK YOU, MR. MURATSUCHI, MISS
ORTEGA, I THINK YOU WANTED TO
ALSO PROVIDE SOME COMMENTS AND
MAYBE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. AND
IF YOU CAN ALSO START BY LETTING
US KNOW WHICH PARTICULAR
PROGRAMS YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT SO
THAT THE STAFF CAN COME UP TO
ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. YES.
THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WOULD LIKE
TO FOCUS MY COMMENTS AND
QUESTIONS ON THE $13 MILLION
BUDGET. CUT TO THE UC LABOR
CENTERS.
GABRIELA CHAVEZ WITH DEPARTMENT
OF FINANCE, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT
THE QUESTION. ASSEMBLYMEMBER
ORTEGA, I HAVEN'T ASKED IT YET.
I JUST SET THE SECTION TO
PREPARE YOU. SO IN THE
GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL, IT PLANS TO
ELIMINATE ALL $13 MILLION THAT
ALLOWED THE LABOR CENTERS TO
EXPAND AND TO PROVIDE THE MUCH
NEEDED RESEARCH THAT MANY OF US
HERE USE. SO I WANTED TO ASK
WHAT THE RATIONALE FOR THIS CUT
WAS. AND ARE THERE ANY PLANS, IF
ANY, TO RESTORE THE FUNDING ONCE
WE SEE A BETTER BUDGET? THANK
YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION,
ASSEMBLYMEMBER ORTEGA, THE
REASONING BEHIND THE REDUCTION,
AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, WE LOOK
AT DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS TO
ADDRESS THE BUDGET SHORTFALL. SO
WE TOOK THE PHARAOHS DELAYS, THE
SELECTION OF THIS REDUCTION WAS
NOT A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
POLICY. IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF
WE WERE TRYING TO FIND SOLUTION,
REGARDING YOUR SECOND QUESTION
ON THE POSSIBILITY THAT'S NOT
CURRENTLY DISCUSSED, BUT I'M
HAPPY TO TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AND
LET SUPERVISORS KNOW ABOUT THAT.
YEAH. AND IF I COULD JUST ADD
SIMILAR TO MY COMMENTS REGARDING
THE UNSEEN LATINAS PROJECT,
CERTAINLY AS WE WORK TOWARD
CLOSING THIS BUDGET AND REACHING
A BUDGET AGREEMENT WITH THE
LEGISLATURE, I HAVE NO DOUBT
THAT THIS ALLOCATION WILL COME
UP IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS WELL,
SO LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED
DISCUSSION WITH THE LEGISLATURE
AROUND WHAT THAT FINAL BUDGET
WILL LOOK LIKE. I JUST WANTED TO
ADD AN EXAMPLE OF THE WORK THAT
THE UC LABOR CENTER DOES. SO
LAST YEAR, A COMMUNITY IN MY
DISTRICT, PLANADA, GOT FLOODED.
AND SO ACTUALLY, AS A RESULT OF
WHAT THE UC LABOR CENTER DID IN
TERMS OF A STUDY TO LET US KNOW
WHAT WAS THE IMPACT, WE WERE
ACTUALLY ABLE TO ALLOCATE,
OBVIOUSLY FUNDING WHERE WE HAD
ADDITIONAL FUNDING LAST YEAR AND
IN THE BUDGET. AND SO THE
COMMUNITY ACTUALLY GOT $20
MILLION IN RELIEF, WHICH WAS
VERY, VERY HELPFUL. AND IT
ACTUALLY IS GOING UNDERWAY RIGHT
NOW. SO I JUST WANTED TO
HIGHLIGHT THAT THE CRITICAL WORK
THAT IS DONE. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU, I ALSO WANTED TO ASK, THE
UC SYSTEM IS GETTING A 7.8% CUT,
THE UC BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
SCHOOLS ARE, YOU KNOW, PART OF
THAT, BUT IT'S NOT EQUAL IN
TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE CUT VERSUS
THE LABOR CENTER. SO WHAT WAS
THE RATIONALE FOR THAT AS WELL?
I'M NOT SURE. IT'S THE 7.95%
REDUCTIONS THAT IT'S, PROPOSED
FOR REVISION IS TO THE SEGMENT.
SO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA, THE UNIVERSITY WILL
DECIDE HOW TO MAKE THAT
REDUCTION. THÀNH. SO I'M NOT
PARTICULARLY FAMILIAR WITH HOW
THAT WILL GO TO THE SECOND
BUSINESS SCHOOL. I THINK I WOULD
JUST ADD, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR
POINT THERE, THAT 7.95% WAS,
BROADLY APPLIED TO NUMEROUS
DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE
STATE, AND JUST FOR SOME, SOME
CONTEXTUAL CONTEXT IN TERMS OF
IMPACT, THAT IMPACT TO THE UC IS
ROUGHLY 9 OR $380 MILLION A
YEAR, SO CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND
THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENT
CHOICES THAT COULD BE MADE THAT
ARE BEING MADE, THERE ARE
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT
THOSE DECISIONS SHOULD BE MADE,
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WHAT IT CAME DOWN TO FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION IS WE HAD A
SIGNIFICANT BUDGET PROBLEM. WE
WERE TRYING TO RESOLVE, AND WE
WERE LOOKING AT ALL AVENUES OF
WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO
RESOLVE THAT, CERTAINLY WE LOOK
FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE LEGISLATURE AROUND HOW
WE DO THAT. YES, I LOOK FORWARD
TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS. I WILL
CONTINUE TO ASK, THESE QUESTIONS
AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M
ON RECORD AS WANTING TO PROTECT
THIS PROGRAM AND THE LABOR
CENTERS. THANK YOU, MISS ORTEGA.
AND, THIS HAS BEEN ALSO, A
PUBLIC HAS SPOKEN ON THIS AS
WELL AS YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD.
AND WE HAVE ASKED, SIMILAR TO
THE, THE, LATINA INITIATIVE, TO
LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER SPECIFIC
PROGRAMS THAT WERE NOT TARGETED
FOR ANY CUTS, INCLUDING NOT
TARGETED FOR THE 7.95, AND
WHETHER THEY CAN ALL HELP, IN
OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT THEY
WILL ALL HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE KEEP THE LABOR CENTER
FUNDING, ON THE LEVEL PLAYING
FIELD IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO
CONTINUE TO DO THEIR WORK,
OBVIOUSLY ALSO DOING THEIR PART
IN TERMS OF REDUCTION, BECAUSE
EVERYBODY'S SEEN A REDUCTION,
BUT NOT A VERY DRASTIC REDUCTION
AS IS BEING PROPOSED. SO THAT'S
THE CURRENT WORK. AND I DON'T
KNOW IF, THE UC HAS ANYTHING TO
ADD TO THAT ON THAT APPROACH,
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE I KNOW
WE'VE ASKED YOU TO DO THAT
EXERCISE, THANK YOU, CHAIR
ALVAREZ. I HAVE PROVIDED
INFORMATION TO THE COMMITTEE
STAFF BASED ON YOUR QUESTION,
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
WOULD PREFER NOT TO PLACE ANY
VALUE ON ONE PROGRAM OVER
ANOTHER. THESE ARE LEGISLATIVE
PRIORITY ISSUES THAT ALL SERVE
VERY IMPORTANT POPULATIONS
WITHIN OUR STATE. AND THE
FACULTY AND STAFF WHO WORK ON
THESE PROGRAMS ARE VERY
PASSIONATE ABOUT THEM AND VERY
DEVOTED TO THE CAUSES, FOR THE
RECORD, THE LABOR CENTERS WILL
RETAIN, AFTER THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSED REDUCTION, A $6 MILLION
BASED BUDGET. BUT IT IS A VERY
DRASTIC REDUCTION TO THE LABOR
CENTERS, THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA HAS, APPROXIMATELY
$448 MILLION IN WHAT THESE
SPECIALTY EARMARKS THAT HAVE
BEEN OVER MANY DECADES PROVIDED
TO THE UNIVERSITY BY THE
LEGISLATURE THAT ARE NOT CUT
DURING THE TIMES WHEN WE RECEIVE
A BASE BUDGET CUT BECAUSE THEY
HAVE BEEN MANDATED A CERTAIN
FUNDING LEVEL BY THE
LEGISLATURE, AND THE APPROACH
THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF IS
PROVIDING A PERCENTAGE CUT TO
THOSE PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO BE
ABLE TO MAKE, A REDUCTION EITHER
MORE EVENLY OR PRESERVE A
PROGRAM OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO
THE LEGISLATURE. AND THAT IS
DEFINITELY POSSIBLE FOR THE
LEGISLATURE TO DO. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. YOU WALKED US THROUGH
THAT, REALLY, EXCELLENTLY. THANK
YOU. THERE ARE MANY PRIORITIES
AT THE LEGISLATURE OVER THE
YEARS HAVE PUT FORWARD, AS WAS
REFERRED, TOTALING $450 MILLION,
AND IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THE
EQUITABLE THING TO DO IN ORDER
TO MAINTAIN OUR LABOR CENTERS AS
FULLY FUNDED AS POSSIBLE IS TO
SPREAD, THAT SOME OF THOSE, CUTS
TO OTHER PROGRAMS. SO AGAIN,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY, AND
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE
WILL MOVE ON TO MR. FONG. THANK
YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIR, AND,
APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS HERE
TODAY. AND I WANT TO ECHO THE
COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES
REGARDING THE èC, LABOR CENTERS
AND THE STRONG CONCERNS ABOUT
THE $13 MILLION REDUCTION TO THE
UC LABOR CENTERS, HERE, WE KNOW
THAT THEY SUPPORT IMPORTANT
RESEARCH AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT,
HELPING WORKING FAMILIES AND
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT. AND JUST
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, PUSHED
FOR THE $13 MILLION, ALONG WITH
MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE LABOR
CENTERS. I WAS GRATEFUL TO MY
LEGISLATIVE COLLEAGUES AND THE
GOVERNOR FOR THEIR SUPPORT ON
THAT. AND WE KNOW THAT
TERMINATING THE FUNDING NOW
WOULD DISRUPT THE CRITICAL WORK
THAT'S BEEN STARTED. A NUMBER OF
THE LABOR CENTERS JUST WERE IN
TOWN. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND
CENTERS ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA SYSTEM ARE
POTENTIALLY IMPACTED. AND THE
WORK THAT THEY DO AROUND
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, CLIMATE
CHANGE, AROUND JOBS AND MINIMUM
WAGE AND OTHER POLICY AREAS IS
CRITICAL WORK THAT THEY PROVIDE
THAT RESEARCH TO OUR LEGISLATURE
AND TO OUR STATE. I ALSO WANT TO
ECHO THE COMMENTS OF MY
COLLEAGUE, SENATOR WENDY
CARRILLO, REGARDING THE $13.7
MILLION, FOR THE LATINO POLICY
POLITICS INSTITUTE AND REALLY,
UPLIFTING, THOSE EFFORTS AS WELL
IN THE NURSING PROGRAMS,
UPLIFTED BY ASSEMBLYMEMBER SORIA
AND CHAMPION THOSE EFFORTS
ACROSS OUR STATE. AND I KNOW
JUST DON'T WANT TO REPEAT IT.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO
LOOK AT CAL GRANT REFORM. I KNOW
THAT THIS IS ONE OF MY
DEFINITELY MY TOP PRIORITY,
GOING FORWARD AND LOOKING AT,
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT, IT'S,
I KNOW THAT IT'S A CHALLENGING
BUDGET YEAR, BUT LOOKING AT HOW
WE CAN
REFORM AND MAKING CHANGES TO
EXPAND, EVEN IF IT'S TO A
SMALLER POPULATION IS WHAT WAS
INTENDED. IF WE HAD A HEALTHIER
BUDGET. BUT IT REALLY IS THAT WE
LOOK AT PHASING OPTIONS OF THAT
PROGRAM, GOING FORWARD, I REALLY
WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AND AMPLIFY,
THE EFFORTS AROUND CAL GRANT
REFORM AND ESPECIALLY EXPANDING
THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AND
ALSO UPLIFTING THE COMMENTS
ABOUT THE èC AND CSUS. WE KNOW
THAT'S A CHALLENGING TIME, BUT
WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT
OUR NUMBER OF IN-STATE
CALIFORNIANS COMING TO OUR
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
CAMPUSES. I REALLY WANT TO
AMPLIFY THOSE EFFORTS DONE ON
ENROLLMENT GROWTH. AND WE KNOW
THAT ESPECIALLY AT OUR IMPACTED
CAMPUSES AT UCLA, UC BERKELEY,
UC SAN DIEGO, WE'VE SEEN
IMPROVEMENTS TOWARDS THE,
TARGETED MARKS. BUT WE KNOW THAT
THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
AND GOING FORWARD, WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO
REPLACE NONRESIDENT STUDENTS
WITH RESIDENT STUDENTS IN
CALIFORNIA, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE
IMPACTED, CAMPUSES. AND IT'S A
POWER AND PROMISE OF HIGHER
EDUCATION TO TRANSFORM LIVES
HERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, FOR OUR
RESIDENTS HERE IN CALIFORNIA.
AND AS WE LOOK AT ENROLLMENT
GROWTH, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN
COMMUNITY COLLEGES ENROLLMENT
GROWTH HAS GROWN 8% YEAR OVER
YEAR. AND SO A LOT OF THOSE
STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE
TRANSFERRING AND APPLYING TO THE
UC AND CSU AND AS A STATE, WE
GOT TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO
CONTINUE TO EXPAND THOSE
OPPORTUNITIES. ON THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE SIDE, I DO SUPPORT THE
COLA, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SMALL
ONE THIS YEAR. BUT ALSO LOOKING
AT OUR PROGRAMS AROUND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT, CTE, I KNOW WE HAD
A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON THAT LAST
WEEK AROUND THE STRONG WORKFORCE
PROGRAMS AS WELL, AND WE SEE A
LOT OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE
AROUND THAT SPACE TO MEET THE
WORKFORCE NEEDS OF TOMORROW. AND
TODAY AND TO HELP OUR ECONOMY
GROW. AND SO AS WE LOOK AT THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE STRONG
WORKFORCE FUNDS AND HOW WE CAN
CONTINUE TO UPLIFT THOSE
PROGRAMS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARDS AND
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CORPORATIONS AND REALLY BUILDING
BACK THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND
LASTLY, I WANT TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT
THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, BOND
AND MR. MURATSUCHI AND MISS
WILSON AND REALLY LOOKING AT HOW
WE CAN CONTINUE TO UPLIFT THE
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES HERE IN
CALIFORNIA, GOING FORWARD,
ESPECIALLY, THIS WITH A NUMBER
OF OUR FACILITIES, AGING AND
LOOKING AT OUR K¾T FACILITIES AS
WELL, AND OUR COMMUNITY
COLLEGES. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE
THIS, BRING THIS UP TO ELEVATE
THIS ISSUE AT THIS TIME. SO WITH
THAT, THOSE ARE MY INITIAL
COMMENTS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
WE MIGHT HAVE SOME QUESTIONS
THEN IN A BIT. NEXT, MR. CARDI,
THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I DO HAVE A
TON OF IDEAS AND THOUGHTS, BUT
I'M NOT GOING TO SHARE THEM. I'M
JUST GOING TO GIVE A
PERSPECTIVE. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST,
IN A FEW DAYS I'M GOING TO
ADJOURN A MEMORY OF OUR FORMER
ASSEMBLY MEMBER HERE FROM THIS
AREA. HIS NAME IS PHIL AYZENBERG
, AND HE WAS CHAIRED THE WAYS
AND MEANS COMMITTEE. HE'S A
LEGEND. HE HE WAS FORMER MAYOR
OF SACRAMENTO AS WELL. AND AT
HIS SERVICE, THEY TALKED ABOUT
WHEN HE WAS THE BUDGET CHAIR,
PEOPLE WOULD COME IN OR WAYS AND
MEANS CHAIR. PEOPLE WOULD COME
INTO HIS OFFICE AND THEY THEY'D
HAVE A, A LETTER OF LIKE, DON'T
DO THIS. AND AND HE'D SAY, WELL,
WHERE IS YOUR CORRESPONDING WHAT
TO DO? AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE A FEW
PEOPLE IN CORRECTIONS AND ALEX
LEE AND SO OTHERS GIVE IDEAS OF
WHAT TO DO. BUT HE WOULD PUT
THEIR LETTER UP ON THE WALL AS
AN, AS AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE, NO,
YOU CAN'T COME IN HERE AND TELL
US WHAT NOT TO DO. SO LOOK, THIS
IS, TERRIBLE SITUATION. WE HAVE
TO LOOK AT THESE CUTS AND IT'S
JUST BRUTAL LOOKING AT THEM. AND
YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO OUR STAFF
HERE AND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, AL
AND I AND YOU FOR A LITTLE BIT,
WE, WE SPENT NINE YEARS BUILDING
THIS STUFF UP, AND IT'S SUPER
PAINFUL TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TO
ROLL SOME OF THESE THINGS BACK.
BUT, I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT WE
HAVE TO MAKE THESE TOUGH
DECISIONS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO
KEEP INTACT AS MUCH AS FAR AS
WHAT WE DID. AND I THINK OVERALL
, THERE IS A LOT OF PAIN HERE.
AND WE'VE I THINK MANAGED IT TO
OUR BEST ABILITY. I DO LIKE SOME
OF THE IDEAS THAT YOU TALKED
ABOUT HERE FOR, FOR ESPECIALLY
LIKE THOSE LABOR CENTERS AND
OTHERS. AS FAR AS A SHARED
SACRIFICE, SURE, THERE'S CERTAIN
THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO, YOU
KNOW, PUNT AND DEFER ACTION ON,
AND I WANT TO WITHHOLD THAT, AND
MAYBE I'VE SHARED SOME OF THESE
THOSE WITH YOU. CHAIR, BUT I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO
NOT TO TELL THE DEPARTMENT OF
FINANCE WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO,
TELL US WHAT WE WANT TO DO,
BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING TO
OURSELVES, TO THE BUDGET CHAIR,
TO OUR SPEAKER, WHAT ARE OUR
VALUES? SO I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT WE GO BACK AND DO
WHAT YOU SAID, CHAIR ALVAREZ, IS
WHAT THINGS WE DON'T LIKE HERE,
WHAT THINGS WE WANT TO DO IN
LIEU OF THAT. BECAUSE SOME OF
THESE THINGS ARE WITHIN OUR
CONTROL. BUT BUT OVERALL, I
THINK THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BACK
TALKING AT LENGTH, BUT I JUST
WANTED TO SHARE, THOSE THOSE
THOUGHTS AND, THANK YOU FOR, FOR
TAKING THE SHIP THIS YEAR. AND I
KNOW THIS IS A YOU WANT MORE
MONEY? YOU WANT WE'D RATHER HAVE
IT. IN THOSE NINE YEARS, WE WERE
DOING POSITIVE THINGS FOR
EDUCATION FROM FROM OUR YOUNGEST
LEARNERS ALL THE WAY THROUGH
HIGHER EDUCATION. BUT, YOU KNOW,
IT MAY NOT BE THE MOST FUN YEAR
WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THESE
DECISIONS, BUT IT'S THE MOST
IMPACTFUL. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
TO MAKE THESE CHOICES. SO, THANK
YOU, CHAIR ALVAREZ. AND I ALSO
JUST WANT TO NOTE I HAVEN'T
OFFICIALLY SAID THIS YET. AND I
WANTED TO THANK BOTH AARON AND
MARK FOR WORKING WITH WITH US
FOR NINE YEARS. SO THAT WAS
QUITE A RUN. SO I WANT TO THANK
YOU BOTH PUBLICLY FOR THAT AS
WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR.
MCCARTY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SERVICE, ON THIS COMMITTEE. AND,
REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE
DONE FOR THE STATE, CERTAINLY TO
SET US ON THE RIGHT PATH. AND,
YEAH, WE HAVE SOME DIFFICULT
DECISIONS TO MAKE THIS YEAR, BUT
IT WON'T BE LIKE THAT EVERY
YEAR. AND SO THE INVESTMENTS
THAT YOU'VE CHAMPIONED, THE
LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR,
THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY, I'M
SURE, IN A NOT DISTANT FUTURE,
TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE
INVESTMENTS. AND WE CERTAINLY
WILL WILL LOOK FORWARD TO, TO
THOSE DAYS. BUT, FOR TODAY, WE
STILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT,
LOOKING AT HOW WE SOLVE FOR A, A
BUDGET. DEFICIT IN THE CURRENT
YEAR AND POTENTIALLY IN THE OUT
YEARS. AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S
WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON TODAY
WITHOUT DECIMATING THE SERVICES
AND THE CORE VALUES THAT, CALIF
HAS. SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO
TURN IT OVER TO MR. WALLACE.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AS YOU
KNOW, I ONLY RECENTLY JOINED
THIS COMMITTEE, SO I HAVE A
LITTLE BIT OF THE PROVERBIAL
DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE
FEELING GOING ON, ONE OF THE
THINGS IN THE GOVERNOR'S MAY
REVISE PRESENTATION THAT I
APPRECIATED WAS THE IDEA THAT WE
SHOULD BE LOOKING AT BUDGET YEAR
AND BUDGET YEAR, PLUS ONE. I
WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT THE
COMMITTEE FOR DISPLAYING SO
CLEARLY HERE THE IMPACT OF THE
VARIOUS PROPOSALS AND HOW THINGS
WILL PLAY OUT OVER THE TWO
BUDGET YEAR HORIZON. I HOPE AS
WE MOVE FORWARD INTO THIS YEAR'S
FINAL BUDGET AND THE 2526
BUDGET, WE CONTINUE TO THINK
ABOUT THE IMPACT OF OUR
DECISIONS ALONG THIS TIMELINE,
BUT WE HAVE TO ADMIT THAT
UNDERLYING THE TWO YEAR HORIZON,
THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF
MANIPULATION OF THE NUMBERS IN
ORDER TO ADDRESS OUR HUGE BUDGET
DEFICIT. AND WE CAN'T DO THAT
AGAIN. WE GOT TO STICK WITH THE
COMMITMENTS WE'RE MAKING TO THE
STUDENTS OF CALIFORNIA AND THE
BUDGET AS AN EXAMPLE, FOR THE
CSU, WE DEFERRED THE 5% BASE
FUNDING, OPERATING EXPENSE IN
UPCOMING YEARS WILL RESTORE THAT
DEFERMENT, BUT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD
, IT'LL STILL BE LESS THAN WHAT
THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GETTING A
YEAR OR TWO AGO. MAKES IT HARD
TO PLAN. WE HAVE TO STICK TO
THOSE COMMITMENTS WILL BE SO
MUCH BETTER OFF IF OUR K-12
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, UC AND CSU
CAN COUNT ON US IN OUR PROMISES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
THE COMMITTEE AND STAKEHOLDERS
TO TRY AND BRING MORE CERTAINTY
TO THIS PROCESS. AND I KNOW A
LOT OF YOU IN THE ROOM AND AT
THE DAIS ARE THINKING, GOOD
LUCK, NEW COMMITTEE MEMBER, BUT
I'M COMMITTED TO EDUCATION OF
OUR CHILDREN, WORKING WITH EVERY
STAKEHOLDER GOING FORWARD AND TO
MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PUBLIC
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES ARE THE
BEST. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK
YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS.
BUDGET SUB THREE STAFF. OUR
REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT, SARA
HAINES, DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE.
AND LEO, FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON
THIS, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK
YOU, I DO WANT TO ASK SOME
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. IT WOULD NOT
BE A HEARING IF I WASN'T ASKING
ANY QUESTIONS. AND SINCE CSAC IS
AT THE TABLE, IT SORT OF MAKES
SENSE TO START THERE, WE'VE
WE'VE ASKED FOR, FOR, SOME MORE
THINKING IN THE LAST COMMITTEE
OF HOW WE CAN IMPLEMENT WHAT MR.
MCCARTY AND OTHERS IN THE PAST
HAVE SET THE GROUND. FOR WHICH
IS CAL GRANT, REFORM, A PRIORITY
OF PRIOR LEGISLATURE, PRIORITY
THAT'S FOUNDED ON, DATA THAT
DEMONSTRATES THAT, MORE STUDENTS
CAN GET SERVED, MORE STUDENTS,
MORE DIVERSE STUDENTS CAN BE
SERVED SO THAT IT'S A REFLECTION
OF CALIFORNIANS WHO ARE
ACHIEVING HIGHER EDUCATION. AND
SO CAL GRANT, REFORM IS A VERY
WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT STEP
TOWARDS ACHIEVING THAT, KNOWING
OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR BUDGET
DEFICIT. WE'VE BEEN WE'VE ASKED
CSAC TO TRY TO IDENTIFY OTHER
ALTERNATIVES, TO TRY TO
IMPLEMENT THAT, REFORM. NOW,
GIVEN THE TWO YEAR VISION THAT I
AGREE WITH, MR. WALLACE, I
APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION'S
NEW PERSPECTIVE AT LOOKING AT
THIS, NOT JUST FROM THIS YEAR,
BUT IN THE OUT YEAR AS WELL, AND
SO THE CONCEPT HERE IS HOW DO WE
MOVE FORWARD TODAY KNOWING THAT
THIS WON'T BE IMPLEMENTED FROM A
FISCAL PERSPECTIVE, IN TERMS OF
IMPACTS IN THE 2425 BUDGET, BUT
REALLY STARTING THE, THE, THE,
EXPENDING OF DOLLARS IN ORDER TO
ACHIEVE THIS IN 25, 26. SO I'D
ASK, CSAC TO PLEASE WALK US
THROUGH SOME OF THOSE POTENTIAL
OPTIONS ON HOW WE CAN ACCOMPLISH
INITIATING CAL GRANT REFORM,
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONE
SOME, GAVE YOU A LOT OF
HOMEWORK, AND SO I'M SURE YOU'RE
PREPARED TODAY. WELL, THANK YOU,
CHAIR ALVAREZ. AND, YES, YOU
GAVE US A HEAVY ASSIGNMENT AT
THE LAST, SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING,
AND OUR TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING
FEVERISHLY SINCE THEN, TO TRY TO
RUN SOME NUMBERS ON THE, IDEAS
THAT WERE OUTLINED AT THE LAST
BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING TO
LOOK AT HOW, STARTING WITH THE
2526 AWARD YEAR BUDGET YEAR FOR
WHICH STUDENTS WILL START
APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID THIS
UPCOMING FALL, THAT WE COULD
INITIATE CAL GRANT REFORM AT A
LOWER COST POINT THAN WHAT WOULD
BE ASSOCIATED WITH ALL OF THE
PROVISIONS THAT THE LEGISLATURE
AND ADMINISTRATION HAD APPROVED
BACK IN 2022. SO WE HAVE
GENERATED INITIAL ESTIMATES, AND
WE'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH
COLLEAGUES AT LEGISLATIVE
ANALYST'S OFFICE. THESE ARE VERY
RECENTLY DEVELOPED NUMBERS, ONE
OF THE, MECHANISMS THAT WE
OUTLINED AT THE LAST
SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING WAS TO LOOK
AT PHASING IN THE REMOVAL OF THE
GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUIREMENT
FOR OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE
STUDENTS. AS A REMINDER, FOR THE
SUBCOMMITTEE, WE, WE CURRENTLY
HAVE A 2.0 GPA REQUIREMENT FOR
OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS,
DESPITE IT BEING AN OPEN ACCESS
INSTITUTION THAT IS A VERY COST
INTENSIVE, BARRIER TO ELIMINATE,
WE KNOW IT KEEPS OUT MANY OF OUR
ADULT LEARNERS, AND ESPECIALLY
STUDENT PARENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR
ADDITIONAL AID. SO WE LOOKED AT
TWO DIFFERENT PROVISIONS
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ONE
GRADUALLY PHASING IN THE REMOVAL
OF A GPA REQUIREMENT BY LOOKING
AT ANOTHER POLICY THAT EXISTS IN
STATE LAW THAT ALLOWS STUDENTS
WHO COME TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE
OR ANOTHER INSTITUTION OF HIGHER
EDUCATION WITHOUT A HIGH SCHOOL
TRANSCRIPT OR WITHOUT A 2.0 GPA.
ON THAT TRANSCRIPT, AND ALLOWS
THEM TO COMPLETE COLLEGE CREDITS
BEFORE THEY REESTABLISH THEIR
CAL GRANT ELIGIBLE GPA. CURRENT
STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THAT 16
UNITS TO COMPLETE, SO WE LOOKED
AT AN OPTION WHERE RATHER THAN
FULLY ELIMINATING THE 2.0
REQUIREMENT FOR COMMUNITY
COLLEGE STUDENTS, YOU
PROGRESSIVELY LOWER THAT NUMBER
OF REQUIRED UNITS TO ESSENTIALLY
TRICKLE IN. ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS
GRADUALLY OVER TIME, RATHER THAN
ALTOGETHER IN ONE YEAR, WHEN WE
LOOK AT THE FIRST YEAR OF
IMPLEMENTATION BEING THE 2526
FISCAL YEAR, THE ONE TIME COST
ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSITION
IN THAT YEAR WOULD BE $109
MILLION. THAT WOULD THEN,
DECLINE GRADUALLY OVER TIME.
OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THERE
WOULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL ONE
TIME COSTS BEFORE THE PROGRAM
WOULD ESSENTIALLY REACH
SOMETHING OF A PLATEAU THAT
WOULD PUT IT ON PAR WITH WHAT WE
PROJECT. THE EXPENDITURES TO BE
ON THE CURRENT CAL GRANT PROGRAM
, AND THAT WOULD BE A POLICY IN
WHICH YOU START BY LOWERING THAT
NUMBER OF UNITS TO NINE UNITS,
IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS
WHERE YOU WOULD START AT 12
UNITS AND THEN PROGRESSIVELY
RATCHET DOWN OVER TIME FROM 12
TO 9 TO SIX UNITS TO THEN
EVENTUALLY IT WOULD BE IN THE 28
TO 29 YEAR LOOKING AT FULL
REPEAL OF THAT GPA REQUIREMENT
FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS,
THERE ARE LOWER ONE TIME COSTS,
BUT THERE ARE STILL ONE TIME
COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT THREE
YEAR PERIOD, THE FIRST YEAR, THE
25, 26 YEAR, WE ESTIMATE, RIGHT
NOW OUR INITIAL NUMBER IS ABOUT
95,000,001 TIME COST TO START
WITH THAT 12 UNIT. THRESHOLD
BEFORE IN THE 28, 29 YEAR TO
FULLY REPEAL THE GPA
REQUIREMENT, WE'D BE LOOKING AT
AN ADDITIONAL $86 MILLION IN
ONGOING RELATIVE TO WHAT WE
PROJECT ON THE CURRENT CAL GRANT
PROGRAM. AND NOW, ONE OTHER
CONCEPT THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT
THE LAST HEARING WAS, LOOKING AT
THE STUDENTS WITH DEPENDENT
CHILDREN AWARD. THIS IS THE
$6,000 THAT CURRENT CAL GRANT
RECIPIENTS, IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE
FOR A CAL GRANT AND YOU HAVE A
DEPENDENT UNDER 18, YOU QUALIFY
FOR THIS ADDITIONAL AID. MANY OF
THOSE COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS
WHO WE BRING IN BY ELIMINATING
THE GPA REQUIREMENT WOULD LOOK
TO QUALIFY FOR THIS GRANT. AND
THE CONCEPT THAT WAS DISCUSSED
AT THE LAST HEARING WAS LOOKING
AT MAINTAINING A $6,000 AWARD
FOR THOSE WHO CURRENTLY RECEIVE
IT, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT PHASING
IN THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR
NEWLY ELIGIBLE STUDENT PARENTS
AS THEY'RE COMING INTO THE CAL
GRANT PROGRAM. OVER TIME. IF YOU
WERE TO LAYER THAT KIND OF
POLICY AND START WITH A $3,000
AWARD FOR NEW STUDENTS ENTERING,
WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR THAT GRANT
IN THE 2526 YEAR AND THEN OVER
TIME, INCREASE THAT AWARD, IN
YEAR TWO GOING TO 4000, YEAR
THREE GOING TO 5000. BEFORE IN
THAT 2829 YEAR, WE WOULD REACH A
$6,000 STUDENT WITH DEPENDENT
CHILDREN AWARD FOR BOTH THOSE
EXISTING STUDENTS AND THESE NEW
STUDENTS. THAT WOULD REDUCE WHAT
WE LOOK TO, WHAT WE SEE AS THE
ONE TIME COST IN THE 2526 YEAR
TO BE APPROXIMATELY 42,000,001
TIME THE NEXT TWO YEARS WOULD
WOULD APPEAR TO BE COST NEUTRAL
RELATIVE TO THE BASELINE CURRENT
CAL GRANT PROGRAM. BEFORE AGAIN,
AT THAT 2829 YEAR TO FULLY
ELIMINATE GPA, WHILE ALSO
INCREASING THE STUDENT WITH
DEPENDENT CHILDREN AWARDS TO
6000 WOULD REQUIRE ABOUT $85
MILLION IN ONGOING. SO LET ME
JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND
CORRECTLY THE TWO OPTIONS, WHICH
I THINK WERE THE TWO FINAL
OPTIONS IN YOUR ORDER. THE ONLY
DIFFERENCE IS THAT ONE HAS THE
FULL 6000 DEPENDENT, AWARD, AND
THE OTHER ONE HAS A 3000 WITH AN
ESCALATING AWARD IN THE FUTURE
YEARS. THAT'S CORRECT. WE LOOKED
AT BOTH OF THESE MODELS JUST TO
PROVIDE THE LEGISLATURE AND
ADMINISTRATION WITH A SET OF
OPTIONS THAT YOU CAN CONSIDER AS
YOU'RE TRYING TO WEIGH, STARTING
THIS INVESTMENT AND LOOKING AT
HOW WE BRING IN STUDENTS WHO
CURRENTLY DON'T GET AID AND WHAT
CAN WE COVER FOR THEM AS WE'RE
TRYING TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY.
AND THE REASON WHY THIS WAS OF
INTEREST TO ME WAS BECAUSE MY
LOGIC AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY
OPEN TO THOUGHTS FROM OTHERS, IS
AT LEAST IF YOU OPEN THIS UP
WITH THIS GPA REQUIREMENT THAT'S
PHASED IN, EVEN IF YOU PROVIDE A
LOWER, DEPENDENT AWARD, YOU'RE
GETTING INDIVIDUALS FINANCIAL
AID WHO OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE
GETTING FINANCIAL AID AT ALL. IS
THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT,
WE'RE STILL, REFINING THE
NUMBERS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
YOU WITH MORE SPECIFIC DATA
ABOUT THE NATURE OF THOSE
STUDENT PARENTS. BUT WE KNOW
THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF
STUDENT PARENTS WHO CURRENTLY
QUALIFY FOR $0 IN CAL GRANT AID.
AND WHEN YOU START TO
PROGRESSIVELY BRING INTO THE
PROGRAM OVER TIME, BY REDUCING
THAT GPA REQUIREMENT FOR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS.
OKAY. WELL, I HEARD, MR. FONG,
I'VE HEARD OTHER COLLEAGUES WHO
ARE NOT ON THIS COMMITTEE TALK
ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS,
CERTAINLY HEARD THE MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF CREATING
ACCESS. I THINK WE'RE GETTING TO
A PLACE TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE
TO INITIATE REFORMS, TO PHASE IT
IN, IN A WAY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE,
GIVEN OUR REALITIES. I KNOW THAT
THIS MAY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, THE
TIME WHEN THE DETERMINATION WAS
TO BE MADE BY, THE, THE
ADMINISTRATION ON IMPLEMENTING.
CLEARLY THAT WASN'T, THE
DECISION MADE, IS THERE ANYTHING
THAT YOU KNOW OF OR EVEN FINANCE
KNOWS OF THAT IF WE TAKE A
DIFFERENT APPROACH? I HAVE NOT
ASKED THIS QUESTION TO OUR,
COMMITTEE CONSULTANTS THAT WE
COULD THAT WOULD INTERFERE WITH
IMPLEMENTING THIS IN A PHASED IN
APPROACH GIVEN WHAT WAS AGREED
UPON BEFORE. I JUST DON'T WANT
TO, GO BACK ON COMMITMENTS THAT
WERE MADE PREVIOUSLY. IS THERE
ANYTHING THAT FINANCE CAN SHARE
ABOUT THE PREVIOUS COMMITMENTS
ON CAL GRANT EQUITY REFORM? I
MEAN, THAT THIS APPROACH WOULD
BE GOING AGAINST WHAT I'M
SAYING. THE CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, THANK
YOU, JAKE. WE HAVE RECEIVED THE,
ESTIMATES FOR THE PHASE IN
OPTIONS FROM THE CALIFORNIA
STUDENT AID COMMISSION, AND
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF
REVIEWING THEM. AS YOU'VE NOTED,
THE MAY REVISION DID NOT TRIGGER
CAL GRANT REFORM, BUT WE ARE
OPEN TO FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS TO
SEE IF THE FINAL BUDGET COULD
HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY FOR PHASE
IN. BUT AT THIS POINT, THE MAY
REVISION DID NOT INCLUDE IT. SO
THE TRIGGER LANGUAGE DID NOT SAY
YOU GOT TO FULLY IMPLEMENT IT IF
YOU'RE GOING TO TRIGGER IT. SO
WE COULD TRIGGER IT IN A MORE
PHASED APPROACH. IF I MAY KNOW
THE TRIGGER LANGUAGE DID SAY IT
WAS EITHER UP OR DOWN. IT
DOESN'T PROVIDE FOR, A
STRUCTURED APPROACH, BUT
EFFECTIVELY THE TRIGGER LANGUAGE
WAS FOR A SPECIFIC SET OF
STATUTE TO THE EXTENT THE
LEGISLATURE WERE INTERESTED IN
VIEWING SOME ITERATION OF THAT
STATUTE AND PURSUING IT, IT
WOULD JUST BE ADDING THAT TO THE
TRAILER BILL AND SAYING, THIS IS
WHAT THE LEGISLATURE INTENDS TO
DO. I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE
EARLY OBSERVATIONS THAT WE JUST
NOTE IN ALL OF THOSE
PROJECTIONS, ONCE FULLY
IMPLEMENTED, I BELIEVE WHEN WE
WERE LOOKING AT IT, IT WOULD
MEAN THAT THERE'S A ROUND OF 15%
REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF,
STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA THAT WOULD QUALIFY
FOR A CAL GRANT, SO THAT'S
SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY THE
COMMITTEE WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER
. SO PART OF THE REASON THAT
YOU'RE SEEING THE PROJECTIONS
THAT YOU SEE FROM THE STUDENT
AID COMMISSION IS IT'S A SHIFT
OF RESOURCES THAT IS GOING TO
STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S
COVERING COSTS AND OTHER AREAS,
SO CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT YOU'D WANT TO CERTAINLY
CONSIDER AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS
PROCESS. THE OTHER PIECE THAT I
WOULD ADD IS, WHILE THE FOCUS
HAS BEEN CAL GRANT REFORM, IF
THE ASSEMBLY'S FOCUS IS
PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL
AID TO MORE STUDENTS OR
PROVIDING MORE FINANCIAL AID TO
EXISTING STUDENTS, YOU CAN ALSO
DO THAT THROUGH THE EXISTING
PROGRAM BY MODIFYING THE GPA, BY
MODIFYING SOME OF THE AWARD
AMOUNTS FOR ACCESS AWARDS
THROUGH THE CURRENT PROGRAM,
YOUR OPTIONS ARE NOT PURELY
LIMITED TO THE CAL GRANT REFORM
FRAMEWORK. YEAH, I THINK ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO
RESPECT, AND THIS IS HELPFUL
FEEDBACK, IS THAT THERE WERE
CONVERSATIONS, DISCUSSIONS AMONG
LIKE MANY STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT HOW
TO BEST IMPLEMENT REFORM, FULLY
UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A LOT OF
OPTIONS YOU COULD TAKE. BUT THIS
WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AGAIN,
CERTAINLY INTERESTED IN FEEDBACK
FROM OTHERS THAT THIS WAS THE
AGREED UPON, EVEN WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION APPROACH, AND SO
WANTING TO NOT DISMANTLE WORK
THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO GET US TO
WHERE WE ARE AND WANTING TO
HONOR THAT, MY PERSPECTIVE IS,
HOW DO WE GET TO THAT PLACE,
THAT WHERE THERE WAS AGREEMENT
ALREADY AND IN A WAY THAT'S,
FEASIBLE GIVEN OUR FINANCIAL
SITUATION. I WOULD JUST ALSO SAY
NOT TO ARGUE, BUT OR BE
ARGUMENTATIVE, BUT FULL
IMPLEMENTATION OF REFORM WAS
GOING TO ALWAYS èC IN THAT WAY,
IN THAT AGREEMENT EXISTED. AND
SO AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO RESPECT
THE WORK THAT WAS DONE, IF WE
WANT TO REVISIT ALL THAT, THAT'S
A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION. BUT
IN TRYING TO BE RESPECTFUL AND
HONOR THAT AGREEMENT AND
IMPLEMENT IT, THAT IS WHY I'LL
JUST BE HONEST, I SPENT A LOT OF
, RESOURCES AND OF MY TIME TO
TRY TO GET TO THAT. AND SO, IN
PUSHING FOLKS TO PROVIDE DATA ON
HOW TO HOW TO REACH THEM, SO,
MR. FONG, I DON'T WANT TO ADD
ANYTHING TO THAT. THANK YOU SO
MUCH, MR. CHAIR, DEFINITELY WANT
TO UPLIFT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN
DONE HERE OVER MANY YEARS. AND
TO REALLY RESPECT THE WORK
THAT'S BEEN DONE TO GET US TO
THIS PLACE. AND WE KNOW THAT THE
TRIGGER WAS IN PLACE IF OUR
BUDGET WAS BETTER. SO WE LOOK AT
AS A POSSIBLE PHASING APPROACH,
FOR THE GPA AND THE UNITS
REQUIREMENT. ONE QUESTION I
WOULD HAVE IS ON THE 12 UNITS,
HOW MANY MORE STUDENTS WOULD
THAT IMPACT? DO WE HAVE AN
ESTIMATE? WE DO. ASSEMBLY MEMBER
FONG, IF YOU'LL JUST BEAR WITH
ME IN FINDING THE APPROPRIATE
SPREADSHEET HERE. SO, IN YEAR
ONE, THAT, REDUCTION JUST FROM
16 UNITS TO 12 UNITS IN THE
NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED TO
REESTABLISH THAT GPA WOULD
APPEAR TO BRING IN NEARLY 21,000
MORE LIKELY PAID CAL GRANT
RECIPIENTS. AND I'LL JUST NOTE
TO OUR COLLEAGUE AT FINANCE IS
CORRECT IN TERMS OF THE
SEGMENTAL, SHIFT THAT'S
HAPPENING HERE. AND WHAT I'LL
JUST NOTE, AND THIS GETS TO, I
THINK, BOTH THE POINT ABOUT WHAT
WOULD WE SEE IN TERMS OF, NEWLY
ELIGIBLE STUDENTS IN OUR
PROJECTIONS AND ALSO WHAT WAS
AGREED UPON BACK IN 2022, WERE
ALWAYS MODELING BASED ON THE
MOST RECENT FINANCIAL AID
APPLICATION DATA THAT WE HAVE
AVAILABLE AT THE STUDENT AID
COMMISSION. IN THIS CASE, IT'S
RELIANT UPON THE SAME MAY REVISE
CASELOAD ASSUMPTIONS THAT YOU'VE
SEEN IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.
THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN THE
PROPORTION OF LOW INCOME
STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE PELL GRANT
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
THAT SHIFT DOWNWARD HAS ALSO
OCCURRED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL
YEARS. SO WHEN WE WENT FROM THE
MODELING THAT WE DID BACK IN
2022 TO THIS YEAR'S MODELING,
YOU SEE THAT IN THE NUMBERS
REFLECTED FOR THE UC AND WHAT
I'LL JUST NOTE IS THAT, OF
COURSE, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW CAL
CAL GRANT CAN SERVE LOW INCOME
STUDENTS ACROSS ALL OF OUR
SEGMENTS ACROSS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA, BOTH TODAY AND INTO
THE FUTURE. AND I WOULD JUST
NOTE, AS I THINK THIS COMMITTEE
HAS DISCUSSED AND IS WELL AWARE,
THERE IS A DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT
HAPPENING IN THE NATURE OF WHO
OUR STUDENTS ARE THAT ARE COMING
TO OUR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION, AWAY FROM THAT
TRADITIONALLY AGED COLLEGE
STUDENT MODEL TO THE STUDENTS
WHO ARE RETURNING LEARNERS AND
COMING BACK AND ARE GOING TO BE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
THIS KIND OF GPA BARRIER THAT
YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT. ASSEMBLY
MEMBER FONG, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THAT CONTEXT AND FOR THAT
INFORMATION. AND HOW CAN IT
POSSIBLY IMPACT 21,000 MORE
STUDENTS? JUST AND THIS WOULD
JUST BE A START AS WE LOOK AT
IMPLEMENTING THE FULL REFORMS
THAT WE HAVE, THAT WAS WORKED ON
A FEW YEARS BACK. SO SO AS THE
CHAIR HAS MENTIONED, A PHASED IN
APPROACH, I THINK WOULD BE VERY
PRAGMATIC, DURING THESE VERY
CHALLENGING TIMES. BUT JUST TO
EMPHASIZE THE WORK THAT'S BEING
DONE. SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE
CONTEXT AND GETTING THIS
INFORMATION SINCE OUR MEETING
LAST WEEK, BUT I KNOW THAT
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF
DISCUSSIONS GOING FORWARD, AND
THIS REMAINS MY TOP BUDGET
PRIORITY. GOING FORWARD. SO
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU,
MR. FONG. APPRECIATE IT, I THINK
I THINK THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS
THAT I'VE HAD, AND SO APPRECIATE
ON THIS, THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.
I THINK, AGAIN, THE SPIRIT HERE
IS TO TRY TO, HONOR THOSE
COMMITMENTS AND TRY TO DO IT IN
A RESPONSIBLE WAY. AND SO I
THINK, I DO THINK THAT WE'RE
GETTING THERE. SO I APPRECIATE
ALL THE FEEDBACK FROM EVERYBODY
HERE, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
FROM MY COLLEAGUES? OKAY. AND
WITH THAT, I, WE'RE GOING TO
TAKE WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT
IN A SECOND HERE. BUT FIRST,
JUST WANT TO REITERATE THERE'S
OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS TO
DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO
DIFFERENT, SEGMENTS AND OTHERS
THAT WE ARE EXPECTING THOSE
RESPONSES FROM YOU, THAT WE'VE
ASKED THROUGHOUT THE LAST THREE
MONTHS TO TRY AND MAKE THOSE
DECISIONS, AND JUST REITERATE
ONCE AGAIN THAT THE GOAL FROM
THIS COMMITTEE'S PERSPECTIVE,
ANYWAY, IS TO TRY TO RESOLVE
THIS. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THIS
YEAR AND NOT ALLOW US TO BECOME
OUR EDUCATION FINANCE ISSUES, TO
BECOME MULTIYEAR ISSUES. AND SO
THAT MEANS MAKING DIFFICULT
DECISIONS THIS YEAR, STAYING
AWAY FROM THE HARMFUL CUTS AND
THINGS LIKE, THAT IMPACT THE
CLASSROOM PRIMARILY. AND SO THAT
IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE THE
COMMITMENT. THAT'S THE
COMMITMENT THAT I THINK IS
MUTUALLY HAD, SO AS WE HEAD INTO
THIS PUBLIC TESTIMONY, PLEASE BE
AWARE OF THAT. AND WE WILL LOOK
FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED
DISCUSSIONS WITH FINANCE. THANK
YOU ALSO TO OUR COMMITTEE STAFF.
IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS
THE LAST MEETING, AND MAYBE IT
IS AND MAYBE IT ISN'T, BUT
CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK ALL THE
STAFF THAT'S COME BEFORE THIS
COMMITTEE FROM FINANCE, FROM THE
LEGISLATIVE ANALYST'S OFFICE,
FROM THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS,
AND VERY APPRECIATIVE,
ESPECIALLY OF THOSE WHO HAVE
ALREADY ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS,
WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SO. IT
REALLY IS HELPFUL. SO THANK YOU
ALL. AND WITH THAT WE WILL GO TO
PUBLIC TESTIMONY, WE'RE GOING TO
I'M GOING TO TRY TO SEE HOW MANY
PEOPLE LINE UP HERE. I'M GOING
TO PROBABLY GIVE YOU A 32ND JUST
NOTIFICATION THÀNH IF YOU REALLY
NEED TO GO MORE THAN 30S, PLEASE
DO SO. BUT IF NOT, WE'D
APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE GOING
BACK INTO SESSION TO VOTE ON ALL
OF OUR BILLS. SO. TRY TO AGAIN,
ONCE AGAIN KEEP THOSE COMMENTS
TO, TO 30S ANYTHING THAT PERHAPS
WE HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE. SAU.
AND IF WE HAVE HEARD IT BEFORE,
JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS, PLEASE. SO
WITH THAT, WE WILL GET STARTED.
PLEASE COME FORWARD. THANK YOU.
LET ME ASK EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM
IF YOU COULD PLEASE KEEP IT
DOWN. WE HAVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY
NOW. PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN SO WE
CAN HEAR THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
AND MEMBERS, MY NAME IS
DOMINIQUE DENNY. ON BEHALF OF
EDVOICE AND 19 OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR COMMENTS ON GOLDEN STATE,
THE TEACHER GRANT PROGRAM AND
YOUR EFFORTS TO PROTECT IT. IN
ADDITION TO THE PROPOSED CUTS,
WE'RE ALSO HERE TO TALK ABOUT
THE TRAILER BILL LANGUAGE THAT
WOULD MAKE CHANGES TO THE
PROGRAM, INCLUDING REDUCING THE
GRANT AWARD TO TEN K AND
REDUCING THE REQUIREMENT FROM
REDUCING THE REQUIREMENT FROM -TO 2 YEARS TO TEACH, ALL OF
WHICH DECREASES THE INCENTIVE TO
ACTUALLY WORK IN A PRIORITY
SCHOOL. SO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO
PRESERVE NOT ONLY THE IMPACT OF
THE PROGRAM BY PROTECTING THE
REMAINING 110.2 MILLION, BUT
ALSO RETAINING THE PROGRAMS
CURRENT STATUTORY LANGUAGE. SO
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS, MEGAN SUBAS, FIRST, ON
BEHALF OF THE WRITERS GUILD OF
AMERICA, WEST, URGING THE
LEGISLATURE AND THE
ADMINISTRATION TO RECONSIDER THE
CUTS TO THE UC LABOR CENTERS.
IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT RESOURCE
FOR THE STATE. AND SECONDLY, ON
BEHALF OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF
ASU WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR
SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED TRAILER
BILL LANGUAGE TO ENSURE THAT THE
CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS WHO ARE
CURRENTLY, RECEIVING CAL GRANTS
AT THAT INSTITUTION CAN CONTINUE
TO DO SO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS, MY NAME IS BRENDA MUNOZ
, AND I'M THE CO-CHAIR OF THE UC
BERKELEY LABOR CENTER. I'M HERE
TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN WITH THE
30 MILLION CUT TO THE LABOR NINE
LABOR CENTERS. I'M PROUD OF THE
WORK THAT WE DO TO PROVIDE
EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH AND
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO
LEGISLATORS, FEDERAL AND STATE
AGENCIES, AND MANY OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS. OUR WORK INFORMS
POLICIES THAT HELP YOU BUILD A
CALIFORNIA THAT WORKS FOR ALL.
IF OUR FUNDS ARE CUT, WE HAVE TO
ROLL BACK CRITICAL RESEARCH
INITIATIVES SUCH AS FOCUSING ON
THE IMPACT OF AI AND AUTOMATION
AND WORKERS AND CONSUMERS,
EQUITABLE TRANSITION TO A GREEN
ECONOMY, ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE
AND QUALITY HOUSING FOR WORKERS,
AND MORE. I URGE YOU TO RESTORE
THE $13 MILLION FUNDS TO Ã
LABOR CENTERS, AND I ALSO URGE
YOU TO RESTORE FUNDS FOR THE
LATINA FUTURES LAB. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS, MY NAME IS SABA WAHID.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE UCLA
LABOR CENTER, ALSO WANTED TO
EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THE
CUTS TO THE UC LABOR CENTERS. IT
WILL EXPERIENCE SEVERE IMPACT ON
OUR STUDENTS AND WORKER
PIPELINE, INCLUDING 100
POSITIONS FOR STAFF, GRADUATE
STUDENTS, AND STUDENT WORKERS.
WE WILL ALSO LOSE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE THE FIRST
EVER TWO FACULTY TENURE TRACK
POSITIONS. MIND YOU, THE
BUSINESS SCHOOLS AND MANAGEMENT
SCHOOLS HAVE 350. SO WE ASK YOU
AGAIN TO UPHOLD THIS IMPORTANT
PUBLIC RESOURCE FOR THE UC
SYSTEM. AND BEYOND. THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, JEREMY
SMITH, HERE ON BEHALF OF THE
STATE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
TRADES COUNCIL, I'D LIKE TO
ASSOCIATE MY COMMENTS WITH THE
PREVIOUS TWO SPEAKERS. I'M HERE
ON BEHALF OF THE UC LABOR
CENTERS AND THE CUTS, THE
ELIMINATION OF THOSE LABOR
CENTERS, AS WE WORK TO IMPLEMENT
IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT, THE
DIRECTIVES THAT COME OUT OF THIS
LEGISLATURE FOR OUR, JOBS AND
HIGH ROAD STRATEGIES TO MAKE
SURE THAT PEOPLE DON'T JUST HAVE
JOBS, BUT CAREERS, UNDERSTANDING
THE LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES AND
NEEDS THAT THE LABOR CENTER
PROVIDES IS CRITICAL TO THE
DECISION MAKING IN THIS
BUILDING. SO WE URGE YOU TO
RESTORE THOSE CUTS. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS. DOUG SUBER'S, FIRST, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA
PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, WE'D
LIKE TO APPLAUD THE WORK THE
LEGISLATURE AND ADMINISTRATION
HAS DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL
YEARS TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND
APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
THAT EXPANSION AND STRENGTHENING
HAS RESULTED IN MORE TRAINING,
BUT ALSO AN UNDERFUNDING OF
PREVIOUS HOURS. SO WE'RE HOPEFUL
THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO
FIND A PATHWAY TO ADDRESS
UNDERFUNDED HOURS THAT ARE NOW
ABOUT $1 MILLION. SECOND, ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES UNION, THE,
WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULT
BUDGET SITUATION AND THE NEED TO
DEFER THE COMPACT FROM THIS YEAR
INTO NEXT YEAR. BUT LONG TERM,
WE DO HOPE THAT THE COMPACT AND
ENCOURAGE THE COMPACT TO STAY
WHOLE. IT IS INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT TO SATISFY THE MOU
AGREEMENTS AND MOVE, NON-FACULTY
STAFF ONTO MERIT SALARY STEPS.
AND ALSO STUDENT ASSISTANTS HAVE
JUST ORGANIZED AND FORM
BARGAINING UNIT 15 AND IT'S
IMPORTANT TO HEALTHY BUDGET
SUPPORTS THEM. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON MARTHA
ZARAGOZA DIAZ REPRESENTING THE
CALIFORNIA MUSIC EDUCATORS
ASSOCIATION. AND I WOULD REQUEST
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO PLEASE
REJECT THE PROPOSAL ON PAGE 11.
THAT WOULD, PROPOSE CREATING AN
ELEMENTARY ARTS CAREER TECH
TECHNICAL EDUCATION TEACHING
CREDENTIAL. I SPOKE BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE BEFORE,
THE CTE INSTRUCTION AND ARTS
MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
SECTORS AND COURSES DO NOT EXIST
FOR TEACHING ELEMENTARY ARTS
EDUCATION. THEREFORE,
IMPLEMENTING IMPLEMENTATION OF
THAT PROPOSAL WOULD BE VERY
DIFFICULT TO DO. THANK YOU, AND
TO ACCEPT AND INCLUDE THE
LANGUAGE THAT'S AN AB 2473 THAT
WOULD CREATE A PATHWAY WITHIN
EXISTING CREDENTIAL INSTEAD OF
THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON ASSEMBLY MEMBERS. TIA
HERE WITH THE UCLA LABOR CENTER
ALSO EXPRESSING CONCERN. AND
ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT
THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN TODAY FOR
THE UC LABOR CENTERS. JUST TO
CLARIFY, OF THAT $6 MILLION THAT
WOULD REMAIN IN THE BUDGET,
THAT'S TO JUST TWO LABOR
CENTERS. THAT DATES TO 2000. SO
NOW WE'RE NINE LABOR CENTERS.
AND SO THIS ISN'T JUST A CUT FOR
FIVE OF US. THIS WOULD BE A
COMPLETE ELIMINATION. THAT'S
SANTA CRUZ, SAN DIEGO, SANTA
BARBARA, IRVINE AND DAVIS, AND
THEN ALSO IN SUPPORT OF THE
LATINO FUTURES FUND, Ã. AND
FINALLY, WE ALREADY HAVE 460
FACULTY HAVE SIGNED ON IN
SUPPORT OF US, OVER 300
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. AND AS
OF NOW, 22 LEGISLATORS IN
SUPPORT AS WELL. THANK YOU.
KIMBERLY ROSENBERGER WITH SEIU.
WHEN IT COMES TO K THROUGH 12,
WE WOULD URGE CONSIDERATION FOR
LATE LAYOFF PROTECTIONS AND
GUARDRAILS AS THE FUNDING
REMOVES THE CAPS ON A LOCAL
RESERVES FOR UC. WE WANT TO
ALIGN OUR COMMENTS ON THE UC
LABOR CENTER, AND THAT'S FOR
SEIU AND UW. AND FINALLY, WE
HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUNDING
FOR CSUS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE PRESERVE THE LABOR COMPACTS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON. CHAIR MEMBERS JANICE
O'MALLEY WITH AFSCME CALIFORNIA.
I JUST WANT TO ALIGN MY COMMENTS
WITH KIM ROSENBERGER ON K 12
SUMMER PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS, OUR
OPPOSITION TO THE ELIMINATION OF
THE UC LABOR FUNDING. I ALSO
WANT TO THANK, ASSEMBLY MEMBER
SORIA FOR HER COMMENTS ON
SUPPORTING THE NURSING PROGRAM
FUNDING IN THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSAL FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TIFFANY
MARK, CFT, WE WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR THIS HEARING. FOR REASONS
ALREADY MENTIONED, WE OPPOSE
CUTS TO THE UC LABOR CENTER. èC
CUTS FOR THEIR ONGOING BASE, THE
PROP 98 MANEUVER. OUR MEMBERS
EXPRESSED CONCERNS AND CUTS OVER
THE LATINA FUTURES LAB AND
LATINO POLICY CENTER, AND WE'D
LIKE TO SUPPORT THE COLAS FOR
BOTH SEGMENTS AND ALSO FULLY
FUND PART TIME OFFICE HOURS FOR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY. THANK
YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON SARA. WITH CHILDREN
OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL
OF THE COMMENTS. WE JUST WANT TO
CONTINUE ECHOING OUR CONCERNS
WITH THE MANEUVER. AND THE
GOLDEN STATE TEACHER GRANT
PROGRAM. GIVEN THE TIMES THAT
WE'RE EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTIES
WITH EDUCATORS AND THE SHORTAGE,
AND WE DO SUPPORT THE TRAILER
BILL ON LEARNING RECOVERY
EMERGENCY BLOCK GRANT TO ENSURE
THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE TARGETED TO
OUR MOST NEEDY STUDENTS. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU. ELIZABETH
ESQUIVEL WITH THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS
OFFICIALS. WE REALLY SUPPORT THE
EXTENSION OF THE USE OF THE
FUNDS, THE RAINY DAY WITHDRAWAL,
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE
DELAY OF THE LEARNING RECOVERY
EMERGENCY BLOCK GRANT. WE URGE
THE RECONSIDERATION OF THE $500
MILLION FOR THE ZERO EMISSION
SCHOOL BUSSES, INCLUDING THE
ADDITIONAL 395 MILLION PROVIDED
IN THE MAY REVISION. WE ALSO ASK
CONSIDERATION FOR CONTINUED
DISCUSSIONS ON ALTERNATIVES TO
THE PROPOSITION 98 MANEUVER.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON.
SABRINA MEANS, ON BEHALF OF THE
INSTITUTE FOR COLLEGE ACCESS AND
SUCCESS, ORTEZ, AS WELL AS THE
LOS ANGELES REGIONAL CONSORTIUM
ON BEHALF OF TCA'S. WE'RE
THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT,
ESPECIALLY CHAIR ALVAREZ AND
ASSEMBLY MEMBER FONG, FOR YOUR
SUPPORT FOR CAL GRANT REFORM
THIS YEAR. AND WE URGE THE
ASSEMBLY TO CONSIDER PHASING IN
CAL CAL GRANT REFORM AS LAID OUT
IN THE CAL GRANT REFORM
COALITION'S LETTER SUBMITTED ON
FRIDAY BY UTILIZING THE
APPROXIMATELY 60 MILLION
IDENTIFIED AS SAVINGS FROM CAL
GRANT CASELOAD ADJUSTMENTS DUE
TO FEWER THAN EXPECTED GRANT
RECIPIENTS. ON BEHALF OF THE LOS
ANGELES REGIONAL REGIONAL
CONSORTIUM AND ITS 19 MEMBER
COLLEGES, WE STRONGLY ASK THAT
THERE ARE NO CUTS TO THE STRONG
WORKFORCE, STRONG WORKFORCE
PROGRAM AS THESE FUNDS HAVE AN
ESSENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE
REGION AND ALLOCATIONS FOR THE
FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN PLANNED
FOR AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. THANK
YOU. HI. CAROL GONZALEZ, ECHOING
SABRINA'S COMMENTS ON CAL GRANT
REFORM. IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US
TO REALLY SUPPORT LOW INCOME
COMMUNITIES. FIRST CHEN AND
STUDENT PARENTS AND OTHER
HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITIES AND LIGHTS OF CUTS
AND DEFERMENTS AND OTHER SPACES.
WE BELIEVE IT'S A GREAT WAY TO
ADAPT THAT FUNDING. AND THEN ON
BEHALF OF LONG BEACH CITY
COLLEGE, ALSO ECHOING THE STRONG
WORKFORCE COMMENT THAT SABRINA
MADE, AND THEN ON INCLUSIVE
ACTION FOR THE CITY, ECHOING THE
èC LABOR COMMENTS MADE BEFORE
ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MARIA MORALES,
ON BEHALF OF HISPANAS ORGANIZED
POLITICAL EQUALITY HOPE ECHOING
THE GRATITUDE FOR YOUR
LEADERSHIP ON CAL GRANT REFORM,
I'M ASKING FOR A PHASED OUT
IMPLEMENTATION TO BENEFIT
STUDENTS. ALSO HERE, TO URGE THE
LEGISLATURE TO MAINTAIN THE
SUPPORT FOR THE LATINO FUTURES
LAB, THE 2022 $15 MILLION
ALLOCATION, HOPE DIRECTLY
BENEFITS FROM THE WORK OF THE
LATINO FUTURES LAB. WE CALL FOR
THIS FUNDING, ESPECIALLY
CONSIDERING THAT LATINAS ARE THE
PLURALITY PLURALITY OF WOMEN IN
CALIFORNIA, MAKING UP 39% OF THE
STATE'S WOMEN POPULATION, WE
ALSO KNOW THAT LATINAS FACE THE
LARGEST WAGE GAP AND ARE MOTHERS
TO OVER HALF OF CALIFORNIA'S
CHILDREN, THEREFORE, WE KNOW
THAT THE RESEARCH FROM THE
LATINO FUTURES LAB WILL BE
CRITICAL TO THIS WORK. THANK YOU
. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS. CHRIS REIF, ON BEHALF
OF CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARDS
ASSOCIATION. I'LL BE BLUNT, WE
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE OPPOSED TO THE
MANEUVER. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE
THE CONVERSATION MOVE PAST THE
MANEUVER AND GET THE MANEUVER
OUT OF THE WAY, BECAUSE IT'S
SUCKING UP ALL THE AIR IN THE
ROOM. I THINK IT'S TIME TO START
TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT
HOW THE LEGISLATURE AND THE
STATE FOLLOWS THE CONSTITUTION
IN REGARDS TO PROP 98, BECAUSE
THAT'S A REAL SOLUTION IN TERMS
OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO
ADDRESS THE DEFICIT THAT WE'RE
FACING, NOT JUST IN THE CURRENT
YEAR, BUT IN THE PRIOR AND
BUDGET YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. ALEX
GRAVES, ON BEHALF OF IQ AND OUR
90 MEMBER INSTITUTIONS, I WANT
TO ECHO OUR SUPPORT FOR CAL
GRANT REFORM IMPLEMENTATION AS
WELL AS FINDING A WAY TO BRING
TRANSFER EQUITY FOR THOSE
NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS STARTING
AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND WANT
TO USE THE REMAINING ELIGIBILITY
AT ONE OF OUR MEMBER
INSTITUTIONS ON THE GOLDEN STATE
TEACHER GRANT PROGRAM. JUST WANT
TO REAFFIRM THAT THAT PROGRAM
HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY IMPACTFUL,
AND WE GENERALLY AGREE WITH THE
TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENTS TO EXTEND
THE LENGTH OR REMAINING DOLLARS
FOR THE PROGRAM, BUT CERTAINLY
WANT TO SEE THAT PROGRAM
CONTINUE AND BE REINVEST IN THE
FUTURE. LASTLY, SINCE NURSING
WAS MENTIONED AND, I WOULD JUST
URGE THAT WE NOT LOSE SIGHT OF
THE FACT THAT 51% OF THE
BACCALAUREATE AND ABOVE, NURSES
PRODUCED IN THE STATE ARE DONE.
SO IN OUR SECTOR. SO AS WE THINK
ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS AND
EXPANSION, WE SHOULD LOOK TO THE
PRIVATE NONPROFIT SECTOR TO
LEVERAGE THAT. THANK YOU.
SAMANTHA SANG WITH NEXT GEN
CALIFORNIA HERE ON TWO ITEMS.
FIRST, WE JUST WANTED TO
RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE
COMMITTEE TO SUPPORT THE
GOVERNOR'S MAY REVISE PROPOSAL
TO FULLY FUND THE CALIFORNIA
SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL PROGRAM. WE
KNOW THE PROGRAM IS WORKING, AND
IT COVERS A CRITICAL GAP IN
FEDERAL COVERAGE FOR LOW INCOME
FAMILIES. AND THEN, SECONDLY,
AND AS A MEMBER OF THE CAL GRANT
REFORM COALITION ON ON BEHALF OF
OTHER COALITION MEMBERS WHO
COULDN'T MAKE IT HERE TODAY, CSU
STUDENT ASSOCIATION AND THE
STUDENT SENATE FOR CALIFORNIA
COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WE WANT TO
THANK YOU, CHAIR ALVAREZ,
ASSEMBLY MEMBER FONG, AND THIS
COMMITTEE FOR THEIR FOCUS, FOR
YOUR FOCUS ON FINDING A PATHWAY
FOR CAL GRANT REFORM THIS YEAR.
AS YOU'VE NOTED, IT'S A POWERFUL
PROGRAM THAT WILL HELP DIVERSIFY
AND EXPAND OUR COLLEGE STUDENT
POPULATION AND SUPPORT THE
STATE'S FUTURE WORKFORCES. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS ANDREA BALL, ON BEHALF
OF THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF
SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
THE HEARING. AND I, TOO, WANT TO
GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO YOUR STAFF
BECAUSE THEY RESPOND TO
QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
THAT REALLY HELP US CRAFT AND
UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. I
THINK WE WANT TO JUST ADVISE YOU
AS YOU FACE THESE REALLY
CHALLENGING DECISIONS FOR LOCAL
LEADERS, THINKING ABOUT THE COST
OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, IT IS
IMPORTANT. IT'S A SMALL, MUCH
SMALLER THAN THE PAST TWO YEARS,
BUT HAVING THAT IS REALLY HELPS
THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE FACING
RISING COSTS THAT THEY DON'T
CONTROL. AND SECOND, AS YOU DO
HAVE TO MAKE SOME DIFFICULT
DECISIONS, LOOK TO THE
RESTRICTED FUNDS FIRST. IF YOU
HAVE TO MAKE REDUCTIONS FOR
CUTTING GENERAL SUPPORT. THANK
YOU. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, ITZEL
GUTIERREZ WITH THE CALIFORNIA
ASSOCIATION OF FOOD BANKS AND ON
BEHALF OF GRACE AND CHILD
POVERTY, CALIFORNIA, WITH 1 IN 4
CHILDREN FACING FOOD INSECURITY,
SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL MEETS
HUNGRY CHILDREN WHERE THEY'RE AT
AND ENSURES TWO NUTRITIOUS MEALS
TO ANY CHILD WHO WANTS ONE. WE
RESPECTFULLY URGE YOUR COMMITTEE
TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSAL TO FULLY FUND
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
CHAIR AND MEMBERS MARK MCDONALD,
ON BEHALF OF THE LOS ANGELES,
SAN DIEGO SOUTHWESTERN, SAN
BERNARDINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
DISTRICTS, APPRECIATE MEMBER
FONG'S COMMENTS ON THE COLA ALSO
SUPPORT THE STRONG WORKFORCE
PROGRAM AS WE USE THE FUNDING TO
BRING COLLEGES AND INDUSTRY
TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF NATIONAL
UNIVERSITY. JUST ECHOING THE
COMMENTS OF THE CAL GRANT REFORM
COALITION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO
SEE THOSE REFORMS PHASED IN IF
POSSIBLE, PARTICULARLY WHERE
NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS CAN BE
BENEFITED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS. KATHY VAN AUSTIN,
REPRESENTING JOHN BURTON,
ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH. THEY
ADVOCATE FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO
ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE. THOSE
WHO HAD BEEN IN FOSTER CARE OR
HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED
HOMELESSNESS. WANT TO THANK YOU,
THE CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND STAFF
FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO
CAL GRANT REFORM, WE UNDERSTAND,
GIVEN THE BUDGET COSTS THIS
YEAR, WE ARE SUPPORTING THE CAL
GRANT REFORM PHASE IN APPROACH
THAT YOU'RE TAKING UTILIZING THE
60 MILLION IN SAVINGS FROM THE
LOWER FAFSA SUBMISSION FEES, TO
FUND, PARTIALLY IMPLEMENT. THANK
YOU, CAL GRANT. THANK YOU. GOOD
AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN AND
MEMBERS. I'M CHRISTINA DICARO,
REPRESENTING THE CALIFORNIA
LIBRARY ASSOCIATION HERE FOR TWO
CUTS RELATIVE TO THE STATE
LIBRARY. THE CUT TO THE
CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICES ACT
WILL AFFECT THE COLLECTION OF
MATERIALS THAT ARE SHARED AMONG
ALL OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN
THE STATE. IN EVERY REGION. THE
SECOND CUT TO THE LUNCH AT THE
LIBRARY PROGRAM IS, FRANKLY, SO
TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTING
AND HARMFUL, THIS IS THE PROGRAM
THAT ENSURES THAT CHILDREN, LOW
INCOME CHILDREN AND TEENS
RECEIVE A FREE LUNCH DURING THE
SUMMER AND WE ARE TOLD THAT FOR
SOME OF THESE CHILDREN, THAT MAY
BE THE ONLY MEAL THAT THEY
RECEIVE ALL DAY. THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. THANK YOU. HI THERE.
MEMBERS, MEGAN MEKELBURG HERE.
ON BEHALF OF CAL START, I JUST
WANTED TO VOICE OUR SUPPORT FOR
THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL FOR A
ZEV SCHOOL BUSSES. WE KNOW THAT
CHILDREN ARE PARTICULARLY AT
RISK FOR THE DIESEL PARTICULATE
MATTER THAT COME FROM THESE VERY
OLD ZEV SCHOOL BUSSES. SO REALLY
JUST WANT TO URGE YOUR SUPPORT
FOR THAT PROPOSAL. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. HELLO, MR. CHAIR.
MEMBERS. EDSON PEREZ WITH
ADVANCE ENERGY UNITED, I WANT TO
ECHO, THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS AND
STRONGLY SUPPORT THE GOVERNOR'S
PROPOSED FUNDING FOR ZERO
EMISSION SCHOOL BUSSES. MOST
SCHOOL BUSSES IN CALIFORNIA NEED
REPLACEMENT NOW, AND NEW BUSSES
CAN BE ON THE ROAD FOR OVER 15
YEARS SO THAT ANY, INTERNAL
COMBUSTION ENGINE BUSSES
PURCHASED TODAY WILL BE RUNNING
WELL PAST THE 2035 MANDATE THAT
THE LEGISLATURE PUT IN PLACE.
AND SO THE STATE SHOULD REALLY
SUPPORT THESE DISTRICTS WITH
TIGHT SCHOOL BUDGETS TO MAKE THE
RIGHT INVESTMENTS AND REALLY TO
CLEAN UP THE AIR FOR THE
CHILDREN. SO THANK YOU. THANK
YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. MOLLY
MCGUIRE WITH THE CAMPAIGN FOR
COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY, THE MAY
REVISED BUDGET PROPOSAL PRESENTS
A SOBERING FISCAL PICTURE IN THE
24, 25 AND 2526 BUDGET YEARS
WITH STATE FINANCIAL AID, WHICH
IS OFTEN THE MOST IMPORTANT AND
SOMETIMES THE ONLY FACTOR IN
WHETHER A STUDENT ATTENDS HIGHER
EDUCATION SEVERELY IMPACTED
MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE HAVE A
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THESE STUDENTS
LIVES BY ENLISTING THE FULL
POWER OF THE STATE TO CREATE A
SAFETY NET FOR STUDENTS
ATTEMPTING TO APPLY FOR AND
ENROLL IN HIGHER ED, ACCORDING
TO CSAC, WE ARE OVER 15% DOWN IN
FAFSA APPLICATIONS COMPARED TO
THIS TIME LAST YEAR, AND WHILE
FULL FUNDING FOR CAL GRANT
EQUITY IS NO LONGER AN OPTION
FOR 2425, THE NEED REMAINS FOR A
MULTI YEAR, PHASED IN APPROACH
TO FULL IMPLEMENTATION THAT
WORKS WITHIN EXISTING BUDGET
CONSTRAINTS. WE'LL FOLLOW UP
WITH MORE DETAILS. THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR, AND
COMMITTEE MEMBERS, CARLOS ROJAS,
REPRESENTING THE KERN COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
OFFICE. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WANT
TO THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR YOUR
CLEAR COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING K
THROUGH 12 FUNDING AND URGE YOU
TO REJECT THE GOVERNOR'S PROP 98
MANEUVER. THAT WILL ARTIFICIALLY
STAND TO REALLY DIMINISH FUNDS
FOR SCHOOLS IN THE LONG RUN. AND
AS A FORMER TEACHER, I ALIGNED
MY COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS WITH
YOU, CHAIR ALVAREZ, THAT THE
FURTHER YOU CAN MAKE THE CUTS
AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM, THE
BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI
EVERYONE. MY NAME IS ANA PADILLA
AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF THE UC MERCED COMMUNITY AND
LABOR CENTER. I'M HERE TO
EXPRESS MY CONCERN WITH THE MAY
REVISED PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS TO
THE UC LABOR CENTER'S ONGOING
FUNDS. FOR DECADES, UC LABOR
CENTERS HAVE PLAYED A LEADING
ROLE IN PRODUCING WORLD CLASS,
WORLD CLASS RESEARCH AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION THAT HAS INFORMED
MAJOR POLICIES IN CALIFORNIA AND
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. AT THE
INTERSECTION OF WORK AND
IMMIGRATION, HEALTH CARE,
SHIFTING INDUSTRIES, CLIMATE
CHANGE AND PUBLIC DISASTERS. THE
PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS WOULD HAVE
A DISASTROUS IMPACT ON POLICY
MAKING FOR THOSE FURTHEST ON THE
MARGINS, AND IT WOULD ELIMINATE
THE STATE'S ONLY APPLIED
RESEARCH CENTER IN THE CENTRAL
VALLEY, ONE OF THE MOST
ECONOMICALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY
DISADVANTAGED REGIONS IN THE
NATION. WE PROPOSE THAT THE
LABOR CENTER'S ANNUAL ONGOING
ALLOCATION NOT BE CUT. THANK YOU
. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR AND
MEMBERS. MY NAME IS UNI LONDON
WITH PUBLIC ADVOCATES. WE THANK
YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THE
IMPORTANCE OF THE GOLDEN STATE
TEACHER GRANT PROGRAM AND
CONTINUE TO OPPOSE CUTS TO THE
PROGRAM, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO
RECRUITING TEACHERS AND
ESPECIALLY DIVERSE TEACHERS. WE
AGAIN WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED
FOR AN EDUCATION BOND AND URGE
THE STATE TO FIX OUR SCHOOL
CAPITAL FINANCE SYSTEM, WHICH
DELIVERS TWICE AS MUCH PER PUPIL
IN THE WEALTHIEST DISTRICTS AS
THE POOREST DISTRICTS. WE ASK
THE STATE TO INSTEAD EMPLOY AN
EQUITABLE SLIDING SCALE LIKE THE
SYSTEM FOR FUNDING SCHOOL
OPERATIONS TO DISTRIBUTE SCHOOL
SCHOOL CAPITAL FINANCING IN A
CONSTITUTIONAL MANNER. THANK YOU
. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ONCE
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TODAY'S
HEARING AND AT THE 11 OTHER
HEARINGS, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF
YOUR INPUT. YOU ARE WELCOME TO
CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INPUT IN
WRITING OR BY CALLING OUR
OFFICES. LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING
FROM YOU AS WE TRY TO, FINALIZE
THIS BUDGET NEGOTIATION. AGAIN,
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
OUR MEETING IS ADJOURNED.