Did your legislator stand up for local governance?
After a sharply curtailed 2020 legislative session, lawmakers returned to Sacramento in 2021 with a hefty agenda of new legislation and ambitious budget proposals. In some ways, it was time to play catch up after sending just 513 bills to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk in 2020. Yet despite a self-imposed rule implemented mid-session limiting members to 12 bills — not to mention an ambitious budget that incorporated many of the year’s most significant proposals — the first year of the 2021–22 legislative session still saw 836 measures sent to the Governor and just 66 of those vetoed.
Of course, only a fraction of these bills will affect education — and with that in mind, it’s time now for CSBA’s annual look at how your senators and assemblymembers voted on key legislation impacting public schools.

How we scored your legislators
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.
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.



Vote %
(Oppose)
(Support)
(Support)
(Support)
(Support)
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia

35

8
81%
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Arambula, Joaquin

31

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca

30

7
81%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Bennett, Steve

44

8
85%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Berman, Marc

30

38
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Bigelow, Frank

39

10
80%
NO
—
NO
NO
NO
Bloom, Richard

35

8
81%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Boerner Horvath, Tasha

34

9
79%
AYE
—
AYE
AYE
—
Bonta, Mia

8

2
80%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Bryan, Isaac

33

9
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Burke, Autumn

29

9
76%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Calderon, Lisa

47

15
76%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Carillo, Wendy

48

13
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Cervantes, Sabrina

32

9
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Chau, Ed

49

14
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Chen, Phillip

23

3
88%
—
—
—
—
—
Chiu, David

27

9
75%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Choi, Steven

27

1
96%
—
—
—
—
—
Cooley, Ken

27

9
75%
AYE
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
Cooper, Jim

29

10
74%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Cunningham, Jordan

31

3
91%
NO
AYE
—
AYE
—
Dahle, Megan

55

14
80%
NO
—
NO
NO
—
Daly, Tom

29

5
85%
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
—
Davies, Laurie

41

19
68%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Flora, Heath

25

3
89%
NO
AYE
NO
—
—
Fong, Vince

43

8
84%
NO
—
NO
—
NO
Frazier, Jim

24

4
86%
—
AYE
AYE
NO
—
Friedman, Laura

31

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Gabriel, Jesse

44

12
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Gallagher, James

28

6
82%
NO
—
NO
AYE
—
Garcia, Cristina

28

8
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
—
AYE
Garcia, Eduardo

51

12
81%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Gipson, Mike

30

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Gonzalez, Lorena

39

13
75%
AYE
AYE
AYE
—
AYE
Gray, Adam

25

5
86%
—
AYE
—
—
AYE
Grayson, Tim

29

7
81%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Holden, Chris

42

12
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Irwin, Jacqui

31

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Jones-Sawyer, Reginald

30

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Kalra, Ash

34

12
74%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Kiley, Kevin

40

7
85%
NO
NO
NO
—
NO
Lackey, Tom

33

6
85%
NO
NO
—
AYE
—
Lee, Alex

44

8
85%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Levine, Marc

43

14
75%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Low, Evan

36

7
84%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Maienschein, Brian

28

9
76%
AYE
—
AYE
AYE
—
Mathis, Devon

25

1
96%
NO
—
—
AYE
—
Mayes, Chad

25

1
96%
—
AYE
—
—
AYE
McCarty, Kevin

47

8
85%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Medina, Jose

31

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Mullin, Kevin

32

9
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Muratsuchi, Al

29

6
83%
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Nazarian, Adrin

27

8
77%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Nguyen, Janet

22

6
79%
NO
NO
—
AYE
NO
O’Donnell, Patrick

41

11
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Patterson, Jim

28

9
76%
NO
NO
NO
—
NO
Petrie-Norris, Cottie

29

9
76%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
—
Quirk, Bill

48

14
77%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Quirk-Silva, Sharon

48

8
86%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Ramos, James

35

9
80%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Rendon, Anthony

27

7
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Reyes, Eloise Gómez

30

9
77%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Rivas, Luz

45

13
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Rivas, Robert

49

14
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Rodriguez, Freddie

35

9
80%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Rubio, Blanca

30

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
—
Salas, Rudy

30

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Santiago, Miguel

36

8
82%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Seyarto, Kelly

31

10
76%
NO
NO
NO
AYE
NO
Smith, Thurston

29

6
83%
NO
NO
NO
AYE
NO
Stone, Mark

36

9
80%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Ting, Philip

30

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Valladeres, Suzette Martinez

32

5
86%
NO
—
NO
AYE
—
Villapudua, Carlos

29

8
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Voepel, Randy

38

11
78%
AYE
—
NO
AYE
NO
Waldron, Marie

30

2
94%
NO
—
—
AYE
—
Ward,Christopher

31

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Weber, Akilah

45

13
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Wicks, Buffy

31

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Wood, Jim

29

8
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE






Vote %
(Oppose)
(Support)
(Support)
(Support)
(Support)
Allen, Benjamin

27

5
84%
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Archuleta, Bob

29

7
81%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Atkins, Toni

27

7
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Bates, Patricia

40

16
71%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Becker, Josh

34

7
83%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Borgeas, Andreas

33

3
92%
—
NO
—
AYE
—
Bradford, Steven

54

15
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Caballero, Anna

30

7
81%
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Cortese, Dave

40

10
80%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Dahle, Brian

36

12
75%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Dodd, Bill

34

6
85%
AYE
AYE
AYE
—
AYE
Durazo, Maria Elena

34

15
69%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Eggman, Susan

20

4
83%
AYE
—
—
—
—
Glazer, Steven

41

3
93%
NO
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Gonzalez, Lena

32

9
78%
AYE
AYE
AYE
—
AYE
Grove, Shannon

27

8
77%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Hertzberg, Robert

39

12
76%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Hueso, Ben

34

6
85%
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Hurtado, Melissa

28

6
82%
AYE
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
Jones, Brian

47

21
69%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Kamlager, Sydney

47

15
76%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Laird, John

50

21
70%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Leyva, Connie

41

7
85%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Limón, Monique

24

6
80%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
McGuire, Mike

51

15
77%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Melendez, Melissa

22

7
76%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
Min, Dave

33

7
83%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Newman, Josh

28

10
74%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Nielsen, Jim

29

10
74%
AYE
NO
NO
NO
NO
Ochoa Bogh, Rosilicie

41

7
85%
NO
AYE
NO
—
AYE
Pan, Richard

40

7
85%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Portantino, Anthony

48

16
75%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Roth, Richard

28

7
80%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Rubio, Susan

34

6
85%
—
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Skinner, Nancy

30

8
79%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Stern, Henry

7

4
64%
—
—
—
—
—
Umberg, Tom

27

11
71%
AYE
—
AYE
AYE
NO
Wieckowski, Bob

44

16
73%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Wiener, Scott

32

11
74%
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
AYE
Wilk, Scott

26

10
72%
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO


