Legislative Update — August 11, 1998

CCFC Phone (916) 441-3300

The final phase of budget enactment is the Governor's veto actions.

One of the trailer bills is threatened with a veto, because it contains language which will reinstate the K-12 revenue limit deficit. The administration is opposed to acknowledging a deficit. SB 727 (Rosenthal) which was enacted last year redefined K-12 average daily attendance, and inadvertently redefined it in a way that is being construed to eliminate the 8% revenue limit deficit. The school community is lobbying to sustain the acknowledgement of the deficit in order to maintain pressure to ultimately restore the funding.

This may seem irrelevant to community colleges, but the restoration would drive up Proposition 98. The more important reason is that this provision is in AB 1564 (Schiff), the omnibus education trailer bill also contains the implementation language for the Program for Excellence. Without this implementing language, the $100 million appropriation for this program may not be available.

STATUS OF FACILITY LEGISLATION — AB 1921 (Scott) which would permit prebid qualification of bidders in community college projects, was voted off the Senate Floor by a vote of 36 to 0 on Thursday, August 6^th. The bill is now on the Assembly Floor awaiting concurrence in amendments made in the Senate. After concurrence, the bill will go to the Governor for his signature or veto. So far there has been no opposition from the administration.

AB 425 (Baldwin) — This bill would allow community college districts to lease or purchase commercial buildings for educational facilities under prescribed circumstances which determine whether the building is substantially compliant with the Field Act. This bill was amended to remove Division of State Architect expediting provisions. The bill is now on the Senate Floor for consideration. If approved it will also go to the Assembly for concurrence in Senate amendments.

SB 2159 (Greene) — This bill would involve the BOG in the administration of any joint-use set aside of funds in future bond acts. It also allows K-12 and community colleges to develop joint-use projects utilizing their appropriate portion of future state bonds. We erroneously reported last week that this bill was voted onto the Assembly Appropriations Suspense File. It was actually voted out of the committee by a vote of 19 to 1 and is now on the Assembly Floor.