ASUC Senate passes CalSERVE bill supporting Prop 30

September 12th: On Wednesday evening, the ASUC Senate approved SB 11, authored by Senator Klein Lieu (CalSERVE), which makes support for Governor Brown’s Proposition 30 official ASUC policy. This bill builds upon a growing academic consensus in support of Proposition 30 following endorsements from the UC Board of Regents and the Board of Directors of the Cal Alumni Association.

Over the last six years, the State of California has placed an increasingly heavy financial burden on public school students to support the University of California, California State University and our Community Colleges. Undergraduate in-state tuition at UC has risen nearly 100% since 2006, from $5406 in that year to $11,220 today. If Proposition 30 passes, tuition will be frozen in 2013 and the University of California will be appropriated $125 million by the Legislature. If it fails, education will be cut statewide by $5.4 billion, including a $250 million cut to the University of California, which would prompt mid-year tuition increases that could total almost $2400.

CalSERVE acknowledges that these tuition increases are not a recent phenomenon, but have been in line with the State of California’s continuing divestment from public higher education over the past 30 years. That is why CalSERVE has consistently supported legislation that would reduce or freeze tuition and fees at the University of California, including the Middle Class Scholarship Act, which died in the California Senate last week, authored by former CalSERVE leader and current Speaker of the Assembly John Pérez. CalSERVE Senator Klein Lieu took the lead in building support for Proposition 30 at Cal by introducing his bill in the ASUC Senate and successfully bringing it to the floor for Wednesday’s final vote. Later this week, CalSERVE Campus Mobilizers Austin Pritzkat and Devonte Jackson are unveiling a campaign to recruit 5000 students to pledge to vote Yes on Proposition 30.

For more information, please contact:

Matthew Enger
CalSERVE Communications Coordinator
calserve.communications@gmail.com
+1 510 255 1984

This press release is available as a PDF download at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/105771334/Press-Release-ASUC-Senate-Supports-Prop-30