This week Assembly Bill 1604 by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D - Alameda) was approved by the legislature. AB 1604 is a terrible bill by charter school opponents aimed at choking off one of the few sources of public facility funding for charter schools serving low-income communities.
The bill is now headed to Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to sign, veto, or if he takes no action, to become law. This is not the outcome that we advocated for, and there is more advocacy needed to ask the administration to veto the bill.
First, let’s acknowledge the champions who made it hard for opponents to move their agenda forward – including each of you who called and emailed your representatives along the way. Thank you! Your advocacy made a difference!
As we continue to strengthen our advocacy muscle, it’s worth taking a closer look at the votes in the Senate and Assembly this week to see who’s putting kids over politics – and who isn’t – so we might focus future advocacy efforts on securing key votes.
Republicans have been stalwarts for charter schools and we love them for it. We must continue to show them love. Despite recent public opinion polling showing strong support for charter schools and public school choice, with a few exceptions, Democrats in California vote against charter school interests. A growing number are standing up to special interest groups in favor of students and families.
