Press Releases Items filtered by date: March 2012
SACRAMENTO – In this Democratic weekly radio address, Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Academy Award-winning actor and Chair of the California’s Commission of the Status on Women (CCSW) Geena Davis along with commissioners Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) announced plans to re-establish funding and restructure the CCSW. More than a dozen members of the legislative women’s caucus, along with CCSW commissioners joined the group in support of the announcement. The Commission on the Status of Women is a nonpartisan state agency which continues to be an effective statewide public policy body for proposals to address women’s issues in the public domain and with the Governor, the Legislature and other policymakers.
This week's English address is 7:06
Website of Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez: http://asmdc.org/speaker/
Website of Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal: www.asmdc.org/lowenthal
Announcer: In a move to re-establish funding and restructure the California Commission on the Status of Women, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez joined Academy Award-winning Actress and commission Chair Geena Davis, as well as Commissioners Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal and Senator Noreen Evans to announce the transfer of $150,000 in funds from the State Assembly to the Commission.
The new funding comes as the result of cuts made to the Assembly’s operating budget.
Speaker Pérez: “The Assembly is transferring savings from cuts that we made to our operating budget in order to provide support for the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. In total the Assembly will transfer $150,000 that has been saved cutting our operating budget. This money will ensure that the Commission remains operational this year and allows for a reasonable transition as it remakes itself.”
Announcer: The commission was established by Governor Pat Brown 40 years ago, and it has been a leading force in changing policies in order to advance women’s issues…
Speaker Pérez: “For more than 40 years, as established by Governor Pat Brown, the Commission on the Status of Women has been a leading voice in advocating for policy changes that will help women and girls in California. The Commission has advanced policies that affect women in a number of areas, especially in issues like pay disparity and it’s clear that today there is still a great need for the Commission as a voice and advocate for issues impacting women and families.”
Announcer: Speaker Pérez cites findings from a recent Mt. Saint Mary’s College report that shows that disparities between women and men are still a reality. The report shows even greater disparities for Latinas and African American women.
Speaker Pérez: “Women in California only make 84 cents on the dollar for every dollar earned by men. That disparity is even greater for Latinas and African American women, who earn 59 cents and 68 cents respectively for every dollar earned by the average man in California. And while women are graduating from California colleges and universities at a higher rate than men, they start lagging behind male counterparts in fields of science and math and in their advancement in those fields. And in fact, until there is gender equity in corporate board rooms, in the State Legislature, in Congress and in all offices of power, we cannot ignore this problem.”
Announcer: Commission Chair Geena Davis says that she’s thrilled to be the new chairwoman because she has been a living witness to the Commission’s role in making a difference in California society
Geena Davis: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to participate in this game changing announcement that will re-establish the Commission. Once again, I’d like to sincerely thank Speaker Pérez for his leadership and the California State Assembly for making this a priority and for finding funds to get the Commission back in operation.”
Announcer: Ms. Davis says that California has played a key role for the advancing of the future of women…
Genna Davis: “As we’ve heard from the Speaker, the state of California has played a key role in advancing the future of women. While we have made great strides, there are still significant gender gaps that exist in the state of California, and of course, in our society at large.”
Announcer: Ms. Davis says that the Commission is restructuring to create and pursue public-private funding for its work…
Genna Davis: “The Commission is restructuring to create and pursue public private funding opportunities to advance and sustain the work of the Commission. We will focus our attention on five key areas: business, health and safety, education, gender equality in the media, and women and families in the military.”
Announcer: Assemblymember Lowenthal praised the Speaker’s role in securing the funding necessary to keep the Commission afloat and his willingness to always work on behalf of women’s issues…
Assemblymember Lowenthal: Until this man, standing right here, who has always been a dependable ally to women’s causes, responded to our need? And now, thanks to that response, we are here to announce a new day for the Commission. Not just a few days of retrieve from the budget ax, but a real, new day to reinvent and re-emerge as a more nimble, more focused, and more committed Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.”
Announcer: Sarah Shealy, Assistant Professor at Mt. St. Mary’s College and one of the report authors says that women are a diverse group and play a very important role in the economy of California
Sarah Shealy: “Women play a critically important role in the California economy, 62% of women work full time outside the home. However, women have not yet reach parity with men in job status or earnings compared with men working in similar fields, women earn less. Overall, women earn 84 cents for every dollar earned by a man, for African American women this figure is 68 cents and for Latinas, 59 cents.”
Announcer: The report also mentioned that California women and girls face significant challenges at home, school and in the workplace.
Sarah Shealy: “The gaps between men and women start with education. While women earn more degrees from California colleges and universities than men, we are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math. Across the board, women more commonly work in lower status, lower paying jobs. However, California women lead the nation in owning their own businesses. The data show that California women and girls face significant challenges and barriers at home, in school, and in the workplace. The persistent gaps in education, employment, income, and health status are troubling. The data in this report are a call to action.”
Announcer: Speaker Pérez summed it up saying that young women look up to us, and we should not stand still and do nothing while policies that affect women negatively need to be addressed…
Speaker Pérez: “We all know young women who are looking up to us to ensure they get a fair shake as they follow their own ambitions and dreams and I refuse to stand idly by because I know their voices need to be heard. The Assembly’s transfer of savings will ensure that the Commission continues to be an effective advocate for policies that will address these critical issues. We’ve been forced to make a number of difficult budget decisions to close out our on-going structural deficit, but it’s clear that the Commission’s work is not complete and we cannot afford to lose the critical voice on issues impacting women and girls and their families in California and that’s why I’m so pleased to be able to keep the commission up and running under the dynamic leadership of Geena Davis.”
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2046
Presidente Pérez y la Actriz Ganadora de un Oscar Geena Davis Anuncian Fondos para la Comisión Sobre el Estado de la Mujer de California
SACRAMENTO– En el mensaje demócrata semanal, el presidente John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) y la actriz ganadora de un Oscar y presidenta de la Comisión Sobre el Estado de la Mujer de California (CCSW) Geena Davis junto a las comisionadas la asambleísta Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) y la senadora Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) anunciaron el plan que restablece los fondos y restructuración de CCSW. Más de una docena de miembros del Caucus de las mujeres también participaron para respaldar la acción. La Comisión Sobre el Estado de la Mujer es una agencia estatal no partidaria la cual continúa siendo una entidad efectiva en los temas y propuestas de políticas públicas de dominio general con el gobernador, las Legislatura y otros diseñadores de políticas públicas.
Portal del presidente de la Asamblea John A. Pérez: http://asmdc.org/speaker
Portal de la asambleísta Bonnie Lowenthal: www.asmdc.org/lowenthal
El discurso radial en archivo de MP3 puede ser localizado en el sitio de Internet. Tiempo de duración es: 8:20
LOS ANGELES – With bipartisan support, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a resolution yesterday, 12 to 0, endorsing the Middle Class Scholarship Act (AB 1500 and 1501) introduced by Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles).
“The Speaker’s bills would go a long way toward restoring the middle class in California,” said City Council President Wesson, who introduced the resolution with Councilmember Tony Cardenas. “We need to make sure that higher education is affordable for all Californians, and that our students have all the opportunities that they deserve.”
“I’d like to thank the Speaker for his leadership on the Middle Class Scholarship Act,” said Councilmember Cardenas said. “The backdrop of this legislation is that over the last nine years to attend a public university students now have to pay three times as much as they did nine years ago.”
“I am very pleased to receive the unanimous support of the Los Angeles City Council for the Middle Class Scholarship Act, which will cut student fees by two-thirds for middle class families” Speaker Pérez said. “The City Council recognizes that our future prosperity is directly tied to restoring access and affordability of higher education for every person in California.”
The resolution recognizes the much needed financial relief for middle class families who are sending one or more children to California colleges, stating that CSU tuition has skyrocketed 191% over the past 9 years and UC tuition has risen 145%, giving many students thousands of dollars of debt after they graduate.
The Middle Class Scholarship Act plans to cut college fees by two-thirds for families who make less than $150,000 a year, but too much to qualify for financial aid. The act will be paid for by closing the Single Sales Factor loophole, a tax break benefitting out-of-state corporations, which will bring in more than $1 billion.
Under the act, CSU students will save $4,000 per year or $16,000 over a four-year period, UC students will save about $8,200 per year or nearly $33,000 over a four-year period, and Community College students will see their costs reduced significantly as well. According to estimates, 150,000 CSU students and 42,000 UC students would be eligible. Community Colleges would receive $150 million to reduce costs for students.
For more information on the proposal, go to www.MiddleClassScholarship.com.
Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408
Sacramento - In honor of National Donate Life Month, California Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Donate Life California (DLC) held a press conference today at the State Capitol with donor family and recipient heroes who have inspired others to become organ, eye and tissue donors. For Speaker Pérez, organ donation is a deeply personal issue. During the news conference the Speaker talked about how his father was an organ donor after he was killed in a car accident, “It was a painful moment for my family, accepting my father’s death, but it was a moment that also brought us comfort knowing that even though we had lost our Dad other families would get a new lease on life through the donation of his organs and tissue.”
Donate Life California recently announced that nine million Californians had signed up on the state’s Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry – a new record high. Nearly 22,000 Californians now wait for life-saving organs. One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and one tissue donor can heal or enhance the lives of 50 more.
The Donate Life California Organ & Tissue Donor Registry is the nonprofit, state-authorized organ and tissue donor registry which records the decision to donate in a secure, confidential database that is searched by authorized organ and tissue recovery personnel at the time of an actual donation opportunity. It is administered by Donate Life California and California’s four nonprofit, federally designated organ recovery organizations: California Transplant Donor Network, Sierra Donor Services, Lifesharing and OneLegacy. For more information about the Donate Life California Registry, how donation saves and improves lives, please visit www.dmv.ca.gov/about/donateLife/donateLife.htm, www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org or in Spanish at www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org.
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408
Below is a link to audio of Speaker Pérez:
Remarks from Speaker John Pérez at today's Donate Life news conference. (3:16)
Sacramento - Academy Award-Winning Actor and Chair of California's Commission on the Status of Women Geena Davis joined Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and commissioners Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and Senator Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) announcing plans to re-establish funding and restructure the California Commission on the Status of Women (CCSW). More than a dozen members of the legislative women's caucus, along with CCSW commissioners joined the group in support of the announcement.
"I couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of this game-changing announcement that will re-establish funding for the Commission," said CCSW Chair Geena Davis. "There is still much to be done to sustain a public dialogue and create real change for women and for our society as a whole, and the Commission will get back to work doing just that."
"It's clear there's still a great need for the Commission as a voice and resource for issues impacting women and families," said Speaker John A. Pérez. There are still significant gender inequities we cannot ignore, and the Assembly's transfer of our savings will ensure that the Commission continues to be an effective advocate for policy proposals that will address these critical issues.
"This is our chance to regroup, refocus and recommit ourselves to the important work of the CSSW," said Assemblymember Lowenthal, vice-chair of the legislative women's caucus and CSSW commissioner. "We have a new vision and now have the resources to implement it."
"We've all rallied around the Commission, because we know how important it is as a voice for women of all ages and from all backgrounds," said Senator Evans. "Today's announcement gives us a chance to continue working on vital issues impacting all of us."
The Commission on the Status of Women is a nonpartisan state agency which continues to be an effective statewide public policy body for proposals to address women's issues in the public domain and with the Governor, the Legislature and other policymakers.
Today Davis announced that the commission would focus on the following key areas:
- Gender Inequality in the media
- Women and Families in the military
- Business
- Health & Safety
- And Education
Sarah Shealy, Assistant Professor and one of the report authors at Mt. Saint Mary's College, recently released a report that showed women in California made only 84 cents on the dollar to men, with even greater disparities for Latinas and African American women. To read more of her report, click here.
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408
Below are links to audio of Speaker Pérez and Geena Davis:
Opening remarks from Speaker Pérez at today’s news conference. (3:15)
Speaker Pérez says, in light of the deep budget cuts that have seriously impacted women, its wrong to eliminate the Commission. (:28)
Speaker Pérez says, under his watch, the Assembly has cut its budget multiple times and used the savings to fund key programs. (:44)
Commission Chair Geena Davis says there is an urgent need for the Commission to continue its work. (:15)
Commission Chair Geena Davis thanks the Speaker, Assembly for providing the needed funding for the Commission. (:19)
SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) today announced the formation of a Conference Committee that will address foreclosure issues and homeowner protections in the wake of the foreclosure settlement recently reached by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris.
“Since the foreclosure crisis hit, the California Legislature has taken several steps to ease the impact on families, including borrower protection and foreclosure delay legislation, and providing foreclosure assistance to constituents,” Pérez said. “Following the powerful foreclosure settlement negotiated by Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, we now have a narrow window of opportunity to make several major advances, and a two-house conference committee will provide the most comprehensive and timely mechanism to seize the opportunity before us to aid Californians who despite the settlement and previous actions are still underwater or facing foreclosure.”
Speaker Pérez announced that the Assembly Conferees will be Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park), Chair of the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee, Assemblymember Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles), Majority Policy Leader and Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, and Assemblymember Donald Wagner (R-Irvine), Vice-Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
Senate President pro Tem Steinberg announced he will ask the Rules Committee to appoint the following Senators to serve on the AB 278 conference committee: Senator Noreen Evans (D- Santa Rosa), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Juan Vargas (D- San Diego), Chair of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, and Senator Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo), Vice Chair of the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee.
“As we have worked through these issues over the last several weeks in meetings with stakeholders and legislators, it has become clear that we are close to having a package of bills that will provide meaningful protections to homeowners struggling through the foreclosure crisis,” Steinberg said. “The Attorney General, the sponsor of these measures, as well as the authors and the legislative leaders all agree that key pieces of this package should be resolved as expeditiously as possible in a Conference Committee. The bills relating to due process protections for borrowers and prohibitions on dual tracking homeowners in foreclosure and loan modifications processes will be heard in a Conference that will complete its work within the next few weeks.
Steinberg also said Senate members will be asked to vote on procedural actions on the floor next Monday on a Senate conference committee vehicle.
Website of Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker
Website of President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg: http://dist06.casen.govoffice.com/
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408
Sacramento - Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) released the following statement today regarding Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D-San Gabriel Valley):
"Like all Californians, Assemblymembers deserve due process and for all the facts to be presented. While that is taking place, I support Assemblymember Hernández's decision to voluntarily relinquish his access to drive Assembly pool vehicles."
CONTACT: Robin Swanson (916) 319-2408
LOS ANGELES - In order to make college more accessible and affordable, today Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (D-Culver City) met with UCLA students to discuss the Middle Class Scholarship Act (AB 1500 and 1501), a bold plan that would cut college fees by two-thirds for middle class Californians.
"The recession and massive tuition fee increases have put financial burdens on families all over our state, ending the dream of higher education for far too many Californians," said Speaker Pérez. "The Middle Class Scholarship Act allows us to reinvest in our higher education system and future by slashing college fees by two-thirds for thousands of California students and their families. We're meeting with college students statewide to help make a college education a reality for all Californians."
In recent years, UC fees have increased by 145%, CSU fees have increased 191%, and community college fees have also increased significantly.
"UCLA and California's public colleges generate top-notch scholars, innovators and professionals," said Assemblymember Mitchell, co-author of the Middle Class Scholarship Act. "By closing a tax loophole that only benefits out-of-state corporations we are ensuring educational excellence continues and that students of hard working families won't be financially locked out."
The Middle Class Scholarship Act covers students whose family income is under $150,000 but who are not eligible for financial aid. UC students or their families will save about $8,200 per year or nearly $33,000 over a four-year period, CSU students or their families will save $4,000 per year or $16,000 over a four-year period, and Community College students will see their costs reduced significantly as well. According to estimates, 150,000 CSU students and 42,000 UC students would be eligible. Community Colleges would receive $150 million to reduce costs for students or their families.
The cost of this dramatic reduction in higher education fees will be paid for by closing the Single Sales Factor loophole, a tax break that only benefits big out-of-state corporations. Ending this giveaway to out-of-state corporations – which had bipartisan support in the Assembly last year – will bring in more than $1 billion for the Middle Class Scholarship.
The proposal is contained in two pieces of legislation: AB 1500, which closes the wasteful Single Sales Factor loophole and deposits the revenues into the Middle Class Scholarship Fund, and AB 1501, which creates the Middle Class Scholarship program providing the scholarships for CSU and UC students and appropriating funds to community colleges.
For more information on the proposal, go to www.MiddleClassScholarship.com.
Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker
Website of Assemblymember Holly Mitchell: www.asmdc.org/mitchell
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2046
SACRAMENTO – In this Democratic weekly radio address, Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) visit the UC Berkeley campus to talk with UC, CSU and community college students about the Middle Class Scholarship Act (AB 1500 and 1501), which will cut state college costs by two-thirds for middle class families. The plan is paid for by closing a tax loophole benefitting out-of-state corporations and would benefit students whose families make less than $150,000 per year.
For more information on the proposal, go to www.MiddleClassScholarship.com.
This week's English address is 4:15
This week's Spanish address is 5:58
Website of Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez: http://asmdc.org/speaker/
Website of Assemblymember Nancy Skinner: www.asmdc.org/skinner
Announcer: In order to make college more affordable and accessible, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner met with UC, CSU and Community College students at UC Berkeley to discuss the Middle Class Scholarship Act, a bold plan that would cut college fees by two-thirds for middle class Californians.
As the Speaker explained, the plan is paid for by closing a tax loophole.
Speaker Pérez: “From 2009, because passing a budget required a super majority, there was an extraction made to create a tax loophole that only benefited out-of-state corporations and it put in-state companies at a competitive disadvantage and denied us over a billion dollars a year in revenues.”
Announcer: While that loophole was carved out Middle Class families, already hit hard by the Recession, faced fast rising college fees.
Speaker Pérez: “We know that from 2003/2004 from that academic year until now fees at the CSU system have gone up 191 percent. We know from that same point in time, fees at the UC system have gone up 145 percent and we know that community colleges have gotten more expensive as well.”
Announcer: Forcing students and their families to take on mountains of debt.
Speaker Pérez: “That limits your productivity. It limits your ability to live every dream you have. It limits the ability of young people to be as creative and entrepreneurial as they can be to develop the new technologies and new ideas of the future. It hurts all of our economic prosperity to burden students with huge amounts of debt.”
Announcer: Speaker Pérez and Assembly Democrats saw these problems and realized the Middle Class Scholarship Act is the solution.
Speaker Pérez: “So we tried to look at different ways that we could address this loophole and figure out what we could do that made the greatest impact in the long-term economic future of the state. And we know that the greatest investment we can make is making college affordable.”
Closing the loophole will bring in revenue that will allow the state to make higher education affordable again.
Speaker Pérez: “We take the first $150 million and send it to the community colleges, and then we take the balance and we use it to create affordability for everybody at UC and CSU—and we use it to reduce fees by two thirds for anybody whose family makes $150,000 a year or less. That’s 88 percent of our students at CSU. It’s almost 80 percent of our students at UC.”
The savings for those tens of thousands of middle class students and their families will be dramatic.
Speaker Pérez: “At CSU it takes the fees from $5,970 a year to $1,970: $4000 a year savings, $16,000 over the course of four years. At UC it will take for these students’ fees down from just over $12,000 to $4,000 with savings of $8,200 a year roughly—$33,000 over the course of four years.”
Assemblymember Skinner told the students how the Middle Class Scholarship program would have made a difference for her.
Asm. Skinner: “When I was a student here and put myself through college, my family did not qualify for Cal grants, for Pell grants, for the variety of financial aids. But I had eight brothers and sisters, so my family was not in the position to pay for my college—but I was not in the position to get the financial aid benefit. What the speaker has done is this brilliant mechanism to take families like my family was in the situation of and many of you where we did not qualify for financial aid, but the burden was still great on us. By eliminating this loophole, it would be able to be passed on to you directly.”
And, she says, the Middle Class Scholarship program is about all Californians.
Asm. Skinner: “This is not just about UC Berkeley or UCLA or UC Irvine; this is about neighborhoods and communities up and down the state and about restoring California’s educational greatness.”
Speaker Pérez: “This is the biggest investment we can make in college affordability in our lifetimes.”
For more information please visit middleclassscholarship.com
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2046
Presidente Pérez y Asambleísta Skinner Se Reúnen con Estudiantes de UC Berkeley para Discutir el Acta de la Beca Escolar de la Clase Media
(Sacramento) – En el mensaje demócrata semanal, el presidente John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) y la asambleísta Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) visitaron el Campus de UC Berkeley para conversar con estudiantes de UC, CSU y colegios comunitarios sobre el Acta de la Beca Escolar de la Clase Media (AB 1500 y 1501), la cual rebajaría el costo de la matrícula universitaria en dos tercios para las familias de clase media. El plan es pagado con la eliminación del subsidio tributario que gozan las corporaciones que tienen sus cuarteles corporativos fuera del estado y beneficiaria a los estudiantes cuyas familias ganan menos de $150,000 por año.
Para más información sobre la propuesta, visite www.MiddleClassScholarship.com.
Portal del presidente de la Asamblea John A. Pérez: http://asmdc.org/speaker
Portal de la asambleísta Nancy Skinner: www.asmdc.org/skinner
Plan Would Slash College Fees by Two-Thirds
SACRAMENTO— In order to make college more affordable and accessible, today Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) met with UC, CSU and Community College students at UC Berkeley to discuss the Middle Class Scholarship Act (AB 1500 and 1501), a bold plan that would cut college fees by two-thirds for middle class Californians.
The plan is paid for by closing a tax loophole benefitting out-of-state corporations and would benefit students whose families make less than $150,000 per year.
“Middle Class families who have already been hit hard by the Recession are now facing college fees that have doubled over the past decade, putting the dream of acquiring a college education out of reach for many students,” said Speaker Pérez. “The Middle Class Scholarship Act will help make college accessible and affordable for all Californians, and we’re meeting with college students all over the state to help make it a reality.”
In recent years, CSU fees have increased 191%, UC fees have increased by 145%, and community college fees have also increased significantly.
“It’s time to stand up for California’s students and pass the Middle Class Scholarship Act,” said Assemblymember Skinner. “Students have made their voices heard, and our state can no longer place the burden of astronomical college fees on middle class families.”
The Middle Class Scholarship Act covers students whose family income is under $150,000 but who are not eligible for financial aid. CSU students will save $4,000 per year or $16,000 over a four-year period, UC students will save about $8,200 per year or nearly $33,000 over a four-year period, and Community College students will see their costs reduced significantly as well. According to estimates, 150,000 CSU students and 42,000 UC students would be eligible. Community Colleges would receive $150 million to reduce costs for students.
The cost of this dramatic reduction in higher education fees will be paid for by closing the Single Sales Factor loophole, a tax break that only benefits big out-of-state corporations. Ending this giveaway to out-of-state corporations – which had bipartisan support in the Assembly last year – will bring in more than $1 billion for the Middle Class Scholarship.
The proposal is contained in two pieces of legislation: AB 1500, which closes the wasteful Single Sales Factor loophole and deposits the revenues into the Middle Class Scholarship Fund, and AB 1501, which creates the Middle Class Scholarship program providing the scholarships for CSU and UC students and appropriating funds to community colleges.
For more information on the proposal, go to www.MiddleClassScholarship.com.
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2408
Website of Speaker John A. Pérez: www.asmdc.org/speaker
Website of Assemblymember Nancy Skinner: www.asmdc.org/skinner
Sacramento - Speaker John A. Pérez statement on UC Davis Pepper Spray Incident Report:
“Today’s report on the November 18 pepper spray incident at UC Davis clearly shows the systemic and administrative problems that led up to an outrageous and excessive use of force against peaceful student demonstrators. The report demonstrates that UC Davis officials are responsible for allowing the incident to occur, both in failing to provide clear guidance to the campus police, and in their oversight of the police themselves, as evidenced by the fact that the officers were neither authorized, nor trained, in the use of the specific type of pepper spray used on the students. Officials at UC Davis must be held accountable in addressing the very troubling revelations that this report has brought to light, and I will work with my colleagues on the Board of Regents and in the Legislature to ensure that they are held accountable in that work.”
CONTACT: John Vigna (916) 319-2046
