Topic: Legislative Action
Pandemic leads to big cuts for education in state budget May Revision
Legislative Update
Governor Newsom released the May Revision to the 2020-21 state budget on May 14. California began 2020 with a solid fiscal foundation. As the proposal notes, the state started the year with a “strong and diverse economy, historic reserves, and a structurally balanced budget. It had eliminated past budgetary debts and deferrals and was making extraordinary payments to reduce pension liabilities. In January, a budget surplus of $5.6 billion was projected for the 2020-21 fiscal year. Revenues through March were running $1.35 billion above projections.”
Uncertainty surrounds education budget for coming year
The one known — coronavirus has blown a giant hole in the state budget
The governor and the Legislature know the COVID-19 pandemic has blown a huge hole in the state budget, but they can’t easily project state revenues or the impact on Proposition 98 — the mechanism that provides K-12 schools and community colleges about 40 percent of the state’s General Fund.
CFT advances bill for classified staff to close part-time loophole
Legislature's emergency recess delays action
State legislators left Sacramento March 20 after passing emergency legislation to help K-12 schools, individuals, small businesses and non-profits weather the coronavirus pandemic. Significant for classified employees, the legislation — Senate Bill 117 — includes $100 million dollars to purchase personal protective equipment, to pay for supplies and labor related to cleaning schools sites, or both.
Legislature passes three emergency coronavirus bills
Legislative Update
The California Legislature took emergency action yesterday and passed Senate Bill 117 to address several of the issues confronting schools and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. SB 17 and two other emergency bills passed by the Legislature will take effect immediately.
The CFT will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates from the California Legislature.
CFT introduces new bills but emergency legislative recess delays action
Legislative Update
The CFT was successful in introducing sponsored legislation for 2020. Our new bills address priority issues for the CFT, including providing affordable housing for public school employees, ensuring that school employees who are on extended medical leave receive full pay, requiring charter schools to participate in CalSTRS and CalPERS, and providing support for community college and University of California faculty.
CFT members get the chance to bend the ears of state lawmakers
Members attend Legislative Reception
Members and leaders from local unions throughout the state got a chance to bend the ears of California lawmakers on January 28 at CFT Legislative Reception.
Gov. Newsom prioritizes education in budget proposal
Legislative Update
Gov. Newsom released his $222 billion state budget proposal for 2020-21 on Friday, January 10. The proposal continues to invest in his education priorities, including early childhood education, special education, educator recruitment and training, as well as student health and wellness.
Know the new laws for 2020
Legislative Update
The governor signed eight CFT-sponsored bills from the 2019 legislative session into law, as well as numerous others important to educators and support staff in California schools and colleges. Below is a summary of significant bills that will become law in 2020. You will also find significant bills vetoed by the governor along with his veto message. The CFT positions are indicated. The next legislative session begins when the Legislature reconvenes on January 6, 2020.
Legislative session ends on strong note for classified
Six-month probation won for K-12 staff in non-merit districts, landmark charter reform
In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bumper crop of new laws that will benefit classified staff across the state.
“We did well this year,” said CCE President Carl Williams, “but it also shows how much more we can accomplish if we lobby harder and smarter.”
Governor signs eight union bills — landmark charter reform, loan forgiveness eligibility, classified probation
Legislative Update
September 13 marked the end of the first year of the two-year legislative session, in which an unprecedented 10 CFT-sponsored or co-sponsored bills passed the Legislature and made it to the governor’s desk for his consideration. The governor had until October 13 to sign or veto those bills that made it to his desk.
The governor signed eight of CFT’s bills and vetoed two. Six became two-year bills. In addition, the CFT succeeded in securing the enactment of Senate Concurrent Resolution 29, which recognizes the anniversary of the commencement of the UC-AFT representation of librarians.
Governor signs loan forgiveness bill, vetoes paid maternity leave
From the Capitol – On the cusp of good things for part-timers
Budgetarily, it’s been a tough year for winning greater gains for part-timers in Sacramento, but with regard to legislation which CFT succeeded in getting to the governor’s desk, and for legislation already in the wings for next year, part-timers are on the edge of good things.
New state program matches funds classified employees set aside
What you need to know about Classified School Employee Summer Assistance
Bernard Benson is enrolled in the new Classified School Employee Summer Assistance Program. His deductions began in August and will continue through June. The state will match his savings up to a dollar for dollar in July.
“It would be ludicrous for me not to participate,” explained Benson. “Where else can I set aside $200 a month for 11 months and make a 100 percent return on my investment?”
CFT lands an unprecedented 10 bills on the governor’s desk
Legislative Update
Of this year’s 16 CFT-sponsored or co-sponsored bills, the union lobbied successfully to pass 10 of them through the Legislature and onto the governor’s desk for his consideration. The governor has until October 13 to sign or veto the bills.
September 13 marked the end of the first year of the two-year legislative session. Six of CFT’s bills became two-year bills and will be considered again when the Legislature returns from Interim Recess on January 6.
Key bills advance before Legislature takes summer recess
Legislative Update
Friday, July 12, was the last day for policy committees to meet and report bills out. This day also marked the beginning of the Legislature’s summer recess.
Sponsored bills move to next house or become two-year bills
Legislative Update
May 31 was the last day for bills to pass out of their house of origin. The bills that were not heard on the floor in their house of origin became two-year bills. Bills that did not achieve a majority vote on the floor of their respective chamber are dead unless the author was granted reconsideration. Policy committees resumed on June 3, 2019, to begin hearing bills from the other chamber.
Omnibus legislation creates Summer Assistance fund for classified staff
Classified employees should take special note of Assembly Bill 1808, an omnibus education trailer bill. Along with dozens of other provisions, AB 1808 increased the state budget for staff training and other classified programs by $100 million.
CFT succeeds in moving bills out of Appropriations Committee
Legislative Update
The Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees both held their Suspense hearings May 16 to report which bills would make it out of Appropriations and go to the Floor in their respective chambers.
The CFT was successful in securing the passage of most sponsored and co-sponsored bills out of the Appropriations Committees. Those bills address priority issues for the CFT, including increasing school funding, ensuring accountability for charter schools, and providing support for community college and UC faculty.
AB 897: Raising the cap and reducing freeway flying
FIRST PERSON | By Geoff Johnson
The term “freeway flyer” has for years been synonymous with California part-time community college teachers. Since 1968, California part-timers have been legally restricted to teaching a faction of a full-time load in a given community college district, and then generally paid only for their instructional hours.
The rationale for this rule was that it allowed administrators more flexibility to deal with the drop in student sections from the fall to spring semesters, and at the same time, a way to get out of paying healthcare and retirement benefits.
Paid maternity leave: AB 500 empowers female educators, staff and their families
Pregnancy is a medical condition that requires women to take time off either to deal with the pregnancy itself and potential complications, to recover from child birthing, or bond with a child, which often requires far more than a just the few weeks that many female adjuncts may have in accumulated sick leave. It is not an illness, like a cold, nor a disability like throwing out your back. It is a temporary disability specific to women and needs to be treated as such.
Legislator of the Year Patrick O’Donnell brings the classroom to Sacramento
Former teacher and Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell, who has lobbied for more school funding, and served as chair of the Assembly Education Committee, received the Legislator of the Year Award.