governor

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Stand By

Byuclafaculty

As prior posts on this blog have noted, Gov. Brown has a public pension plan proposal – but no one quite knows what it is and whether, more specifically, it will cover UC (and possibly override the Regents’ pension revision of December 2010). Excerpt from Capitol Alert late yesterday: Gov. Jerry Brown will give lawmakers his plan for pension changes on Thursday, the governor said in a letter to legislators this afternoon, though it remains unclear what Brown will propose. “Given the paramount importance of pensions to both taxpayers and public employees, it is absolutely critical that we carefully examine…

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Gov. Brown Says Pension Proposal Will Involve Constitutional Changes & a Vote of the People

Byuclafaculty

At the Milken Institute State of the State conference today (attended by yours truly), Governor Brown was asked by Michael Milken about public pensions in California. (Cell phone photo of conference event at right.) Brown indicated he was working on a proposal on pensions – but did not give a precise date when it would be unveiled. He did say that it would involve a constitutional amendment that would have to be approved by a vote of the people. It was unclear what the coverage of the pension proposal would be. All state and local pensions in California? Just state-level…

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Governor Vetoes Bill That Sparked UC-Berkeley Bake Sale Controversy

Byuclafaculty

As readers of this blog will know, opponents of a bill that might have (not at all clear) weakened the anti-affirmative action Prop 209 – which applies to public university admissions, organized a bake sale at UC-Berkeley which caused much controversy on that campus. Governor Brown has now vetoed that bill. Jerry Brown vetoes bill to let colleges consider race, gender 10/8/11 Capitol Alert Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation today that would have allowed the University of California and California State University systems to consider race, ethnicity and gender in student admissions. The interpretation of Proposition 209, which prohibits the…

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Governor Signs Dream Act

Byuclafaculty

Jerry Brown signs California Dream Act 10-8-11Capitol Alert Gov. Jerry Brown today signed legislation allowing undocumented immigrant college students to receive public financial aid, marking California’s relatively liberal ground in a bitter row over immigration nationwide. The California Dream Act allows access to public financial aid, including Cal Grants, for undocumented students who came to the country before turning 16 and attended California high schools. Those students already are eligible for in-state tuition, and Brown in July signed a companion measure affording them access to private financial aid… Brown, a Democrat, supported the act during last year’s gubernatorial campaign, and…

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Some Time – But Not Too Much – Can Go By on Pensions

Byuclafaculty

As has been stressed ad nauseum on this blog, UC could be swept into some statewide pension changes which would override the Regents’ action of December 2010. The legislature seems to be giving UC a bit of time to have some influence. See below: Lawmakers essentially threw in the towel Thursday on comprehensive public pension reform – at least for now. With this year’s legislative session scheduled to end at midnight today, the Assembly voted 51-21 to approve a last-minute bill declaring its commitment to pension reform but conceding that more time is needed. …The measure reads: “This bill would…

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Zen Vetoes

Byuclafaculty

Governor Brown has been vetoing and signing. Among the vetoes were two that would have made commercial initiative signature gathering more difficult. One was a ban on paying signature gatherers by the signature. They would have then been paid by the hour which would have changed the incentive structure in a way that would have undermined name gathering. In theory, they would have sat in front of supermarkets and watched the clock tick rather than annoy people into signing. And he vetoed another bill that would have required signature gatherers to wear large badges saying they were being paid. Presumably,…

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What Does Crane’s Proposed Grand Bargain Mean for UC?

Byuclafaculty

Regent-designate David Crane – a late appointment by Gov. Schwarzenegger who has yet to be confirmed (or not) by the state senate – has pushed various versions of pension reform. In an op ed today in the Sacramento Bee, he seems to be appealing to the current governor. Whether that will carry any weight in the state senate is not clear. Basically, he wants a “Grand Bargain” on a corporate tax change – which Gov. Brown has pushed – in exchange for pension reform. Crane says nothing specifically about the UC pension, however. Is he just talking about CalPERS and…

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Yesterday was better

Byuclafaculty

Yesterday, I posted a note that a public pension initiative that might have gone somewhere wasn’t going anywhere. (See the “Failed Fishing” entry.) But today comes news of another that could go somewhere – because, whatever it is, will emanate from the governor. Some readers will recall that the governor – in failed budget negotiations with legislative Republicans – at one point seemed to be offering such things as $100,000 caps. Some will also recall that there was no sign, at the time, that the powers-that-be at UC were informing the governor that they wanted UC to be excluded. From…

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How Transparent Should UC Foundations Be? The Governor Will Give Us His View Soon

Byuclafaculty

Bill on university groups’ public disclosure heads to Jerry Brown CapitolAlert, 8/18/11 Leland Yee is hoping the third time’s a charm. Senate Bill 8, which would expand the authority of the California Public Records Act on the state’s college campuses, is heading to Gov. Jerry Brown for consideration. The San Francisco Democrat’s two previous bills to subject college auxiliary organizations, such as foundations, to the state’s public records act were vetoed by then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Senate approved amendments to the current version today, 36-1, sending it to Brown’s desk. …(L)ast year the foundation at California State University, Stanislaus,…

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Pleasant Thought for Today

Byuclafaculty

Just a reminder – as you are perusing news about current economic trends – that the California state budget signed last June with smiles all around has a “trigger” formula. If tax revenue falls short of its (relatively optimistic) projections by specified amounts, further cuts occur – including cuts to UC. Sagging economies are not good at producing a lot of tax revenue. Perhaps this old clip from the 1970s has some relevance as you cogitate on that fact and the more general scene: