URGENT: Muratsuchi’s Facilities Funding Bill Amendments Harm PVPUSD; Contact Committee Today
Over the weekend, amendments were made to AB 247, Al Muratsuchi’s statewide facilities bond bill. It appears that the amendments incorporate the demands made by Public Advocates and Goodwin Proctor to add a sliding scale system that will provide lower wealth school districts with additional state funding for new construction and modernization projects.
The District sent a letter to the State and to Public Advocates regarding the devastating impact such a sliding scale will have on places like PVPUSD. In a nutshell, local wealth does not translate into dollars for facilities.
Normally, supporters and opponents can submit formal letters through a portal system provided by the legislative committees. The Senate Ed Committee deadline for submission is noon the Friday before a hearing. These amendments were made over the weekend, after the committee’s deadline for portal submissions. This mode of legislating intentionally excludes the public from participation, and makes a mockery of democratic process. This is the M.O. of our supermajority legislature, and it needs to stop.
ACTION ITEM: CONTACT SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE & ASSEMBLYMAN AL MURATSUCHI RE: AB 247
Ask that the sliding scale regarding the wealth of a district’s residents be removed, and that the legislature acknowledge that the wealth of a district’s residents does not translate into dollars for facilities. Ask that the State fulfill its obligation under Article IX, Section 5 of the California Constitution to “provide for a system of common schools by which a free school shall be kept up and supported in each district.”
For more details on how this sliding scale will harm PVPUSD, review our letter to Public Advocates.
Please contact the committee members TODAY (ideally before 1:00):
Committee Phone: 916-651-4105
Committee Email: sedn.committee@senate.ca.gov
Committee Consultant: lynn.lorber@sen.ca.gov
Asm. Muratsuchi: assemblymember.muratsuchi@assembly.ca.gov
District Office: (310) 375-0691
Capital Office: (916) 319-2066
Chief of Staff: Bryan.Singh@asm.ca.gov
Sen. Education Committee Members:
Sen. Josh Newman: (916) 651-4029; Senator.Newman@senate.ca.gov
Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh: (916) 651-4023; senator.bogh@sen.ca.gov
Sen. Scott Wilk: (916) 651-4021; senator.wilk@senate.ca.gov
Senator Dave Cortese: (916) 651-4015; Senator.Cortese@sen.ca.gov
Senator Steven Glazer: (916) 651-4007; senator.glazer@sen.ca.gov
Senator Lena Gonzalez: (916) 651-4033; senator.gonzalez@sen.ca.gov
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas: (916) 651-4028; senator.smallwood-cuevas@senate.ca.gov
As always, this is just one lady’s opinion. I don’t speak for the Board and no one else speaks for me.