Brown Indicates He Will Protect K-12 (or is it K-14?) From Budget Cuts If Voters Approve Tax Extension

Reports are leaking out that Gov. Brown says he will protect funding for K-12 (or maybe K-14) if voters approve extending tax increases that were put into effect in Feb. 2009. Voters rejected extending those tax increases in an election in May 2009. But the strategy appears to be to confront voters with a Budget from Hell and then offer a repeat of the May 2009 choice as a way out of Hell.

Prop 98 of 1988 has various formulas for K-14 funding which the legislature can suspend. So what is unclear in the leaking reports is whether the Brown leaks refer to K-12 or K-14 and exactly what “protect” might mean. Would it mean resumption of the full Prop 98 entitlement? The same nominal dollars as the year before? None of this is clear.

However, what is clear is that we are talking about protecting – whatever that word might mean – something like $4 out of $10 dollars in the state’s general fund. Debt service is 100% protected. There are limits to what can be cut out of prisons (due to current federal litigation) and social services (due to federal requirements). But, to put it another way, there is no limit to what can be cut out of UC. Enough said.

For some discussion of the Brown/school leaks, see http://toped.svefoundation.org/2011/01/04/k-12-schools-to-dodge-budget-tornado/

But for the UC budget: