Procedure, not policy, discussed in motions to repeal cap on local reserves
Repeal efforts to continue through the fall
Published: August 26, 2014
Last week saw a flurry of activity in support of efforts to repeal the cap on local district reserves. Assembly Bill 146, by Assembly Member Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto) and co-author Sen. Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), was introduced at a press conference on Aug. 18. Later in the week, Olsen and Fuller requested that the Senate Rules Committee refer the bill to Senate Education Committee for a policy hearing. That request was rebuffed and on Aug. 21 Fuller made the request on the Senate Floor. Six senators—all Republican—spoke in support of the motion. The motion failed on a vote of 10 to 22. The discussion on these motions in both the committee and on the floor focused on the process by which the reserve cap language was introduced—as part of a last-minute budget deal between the Legislature and the Brown administration. This focus on the process, rather than the problematic cap itself—reinforced AB 146’s supporters’ understanding that policymakers recognize the problems with the cap. As CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy observed, “[w]e heard opposition to the procedural maneuver, not the policy that we are working to repeal.”
CSBA will work throughout the current legislative session and the fall to advocate for the repeal, and urges governance teams to continue their efforts: 1) pass resolutions to support repeal of the cap, 2) meet with state legislators and 3) communicate the local impact of the cap.
See CSBA’s dedicated AB 146 Web page for a sample resolution, talking points and other materials. Please send copies of your resolutions to Katie Lee in CSBA Communications. For more on advocacy efforts, please email Andrea Ball, CSBA legislative advocate.