CSBA scored each legislator’s favorable vote percentage on a total of 24 bills. Each of these bills are measures that CSBA co-sponsored, actively supported or actively opposed in 2020 and received a full floor vote in both the Senate and the Assembly.

Important notes about the scorecard:

• The favorable vote percentage is relative to how many total opportunities each legislator had to vote on these 24 bills.
• Each of the 24 bills were heard on both the Senate and Assembly floors, thus giving each legislator at least one opportunity to vote.
• Education and Appropriations committee members had more opportunities to cast votes on these 24 bills than other legislators — members of those committees are noted in the scorecard.
• Instances where a member did not record a vote, either an abstention or an absence at the time of the vote, do not count as a favorable or unfavorable vote.

Among the 24 bills legislators are scored on, CSBA is recognizing specific votes on five key measures:

• Assembly Bill 438 (Reyes, D-San Bernardino) — OPPOSE: This bill eliminates the existing 60-day layoff notice requirements for classified staff and instead requires school districts to issue classified staff layoff notices by March 15, which is the same layoff notice date afforded to certificated employees. It also provides that any future layoff notice or hearing rights afforded to certificated staff in future years would automatically extend to classified staff. Signed into law on Oct. 8, 2021.
• Senate Bill 4 (Gonzalez, D-Long Beach) and AB 14 (Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters) —SUPPORT: Together, these bills continue the ongoing collection of funds deposited into the California Advanced Services Fund to provide communities with grants to expand broadband access. Signed into law on Oct. 8, 2021.
• AB 101 (Medina, D-Riverside) —SUPPORT: This bill requires local educational agencies serving grades 9-12 to offer at least a one-semester course in ethnic studies commencing with the 2024–25 school year and add a semester-long ethnic studies course to the statewide graduation requirement, commencing with the 2029–30 school year. Signed into law on Oct. 8, 2021.
• AB 361 (Robert Rivas, D-Salinas) —SUPPORT: This bill is an urgency measure that continues the authority granted during the COVID-19 crisis and allows local agencies, including school boards, to meet remotely during a declared state of emergency. Signed into law on Sept. 16, 2021.

Defying fears of a COVID-fueled economic downturn, the state budget process was bolstered by unexpectedly high revenues. From reopening California’s schools, to laying out a roadmap to achieving universal access to transitional kindergarten by the 2025–26 school year and a historical $6 billion investment in broadband access and infrastructure, the ambitious 2021–22 Budget Act and its implementing legislation took the lead on many of this year’s biggest education proposals.

A major disappointment was the Governor’s approval of AB 438. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino), expands the March 15 certificated layoff deadline to include classified employees. CSBA members shared their concerns about the bill with the Legislature during Legislative Action Week in March, and nearly 450 local governance leaders wrote to the Governor requesting his veto of the legislation and to warn him that doubling down on the March 15 deadline would increase instability for their schools and students. Despite these efforts, the bill was ultimately approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Newsom on Oct. 8.

After the setback of a veto from the Governor in 2020, ethnic studies remained a priority for the Legislature amid continued discussions on racial justice. Assemblymember Jose Medina (D-Riverside) authored AB 101 to continue his effort to add the completion of a one-semester course in ethnic studies to the state’s high school graduation requirement. With the addition of funding to assist districts with the development and implementation of curriculum and professional development, CSBA took a Support position on the measure. After several years and multiple iterations of the bill, AB 101 was signed into law by the Governor.

With revenues still high, the second year of the two-year session will likely bring more ambitious budget actions. 2022 will also likely also see the return of many of the proposals held back during the first year of the legislative session. Among the key measures put on hold this year were two proposals related to school facilities funding, SB 22 (Glazer, D-Contra Costa) and AB 75 (O’Donnell, D-Long Beach), which would place bonds to fund school facilities construction and modernization before the voters on a statewide ballot. Facilities needs have been highlighted by the work schools have done to bring students back safely during the pandemic, and the bills are expected to return. Also pushed to the second year of the session was a follow-up bill (SB 328, Portantino, D- La Cañada Flintridge) to the legislation that created the “late start” law in 2019. SB 328 was ultimately not set for hearing by the Assembly Education Committee but could resurface in 2022.

Finally, the challenges of pandemic response will surely continue to play a major role in the Legislature’s work. Among the top issues when the Senate and Assembly reconvene will be the issue of vaccine mandates. With the state mandate that all California students be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the first semester after full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and tensions running high in many communities, the Legislature may weigh in on the implementation process, particularly whether personal and religious belief exemptions will be accepted.

For now, these and other proposals will circulate during the break between sessions — which will rise to the top, and what new proposals will be introduced when the Legislature returns in January, remains to be seen.