Legislative Update: One Down, Two to Go

SACRAMENTO - The Assembly Appropriations Committee blocked one of the anti-charter renewal bills in its final “suspense file” hearing today while the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the more offensive of the two charter renewal bills. 

Both committees held their final “suspense file” hearings for the session today.  The suspense file is a holding pen for high-cost legislation.  Originally intended as a tool to keep state spending in alignment with the state budget, the suspense file hearings have become a political log-rolling and arm-twisting exercise where legislators trade favors and influence.    

The Assembly Committee held SB 645 (Simitian, D-Palo Alto), a California Charter Schools Association-backed bill that would substantially increase minimum charter renewal thresholds. 

The Senate committee approved AB 440 (Brownley, D-Santa Monica), a bill with nearly identical renewal thresholds plus deeply problematic student demographic target requirements.   Brownley managed to capture two Republican votes, one from Sharon Runner (Antelope Valley) and a second from Bill Emmerson (Riverside) to secure committee approval, but was forced to drop language that would have increased charter schools’ annual financial audit requirements.  AB 440 will now proceed to the full Senate for a floor vote and will need to return to the Assembly for a concurrence vote.

Meanwhile the third anti-charter measure, AB 360 remains on the Assembly floor awaiting action on a concurrence vote to align with amendments made in the Senate.  AB 360 would impose draconian conflict-of-interest laws along with a raft of governmental red tape including the Brown Act (open meetings), Public Records Act, and Political Reform Act. 

While we’re pleased to have one of the offensive bills seemingly dead, CSDC will continue to press legislators to drop the other two.  CSDC thanks the many charter schools that have communicated their opposition to these bills and continues to urge charter schools to contact their legislators to express opposition to the bills in the upcoming floor votes. For further information on these bills, we’ve posted an informative webinar on the CSDC web site ( www.chartercenter.org).  Please feel free to contact us at csdc@chartercenter.org for a sample letter of opposition and other pointers on how to contact your legislators.