Dear Colleagues,

This morning, on the 100th day of the 2010/11 Fiscal Year, the Legislature has passed the tardiest Budget Act in California's history. After-school advocates were pleased to learn that the proposal to place Proposition 49 back on a future ballot, which was approved by the Budget Conference Committee on August 4, was not included in any of the trailer bills that were introduced during the lengthy floor session.

We all recognized that Governor Schwarzenegger, as the primary architect of Proposition 49, would likely veto the bill if passed, but that was also the case two years ago when a similar bill, AB 1526, passed the Legislature by a collective vote of 92-18. We do not yet know exactly why the Legislature chose not to act upon the Committee's decision, but the collective advocacy efforts of our after-school community was certainly a contributing factor. Thank you to all who contacted your local representatives to urge opposition to this proposal.

Despite today's good news, however, we can expect that the Legislative Analyst's Office will continue to recommend that Proposition 49 be repealed, and that recommendation will almost certainly find a receptive audience in the next legislative session. It is more important than ever to strengthen our advocacy efforts in Sacramento, and for every entity with a vested interest in the ASES Program to contribute to that effort.

Yours in Partnership,

Steven Amick

Executive Director

Dear Colleagues,

Reports from Sacramento indicate that a deal has been reached and the FY 2010/11 Budget Bill will likely be put to a vote on Thursday of this week. The trailer bill which proposes to place Proposition 49 back on a future ballot will also be considered at this time, so it is imperative that all after-school advocates call their local legislators today or tomorrow and urge them to oppose this measure. To verify your local elected officials by zip code, click here.

Please tell them:

• Supporting this budget trailer bill could essentially repeal Proposition 49 and reverse California's nation-leading commitment to after-school programs. 
• After-school programs help students succeed in school, keep children and youth safe and supervised during peak hours for juvenile crime, and help working families to be more productive.
• Placing Proposition 49 back on the ballot will not generate any savings in FY 2010/11, and therefore will not help to close the current budget deficit.

It is important for legislators to know how their district may be impacted by this bill, so please cite the amount of funding invested, the number of programs, and the total number of students served in their district. Data for assembly districts is available here and data for senate districts is available here. 

Even if you have called before, please do so again. Every no vote we earn will help our advocacy efforts in the future.

Yours in Partnership,

Steven Amick
Executive Director

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Dear Colleagues,

On September 24, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 434 (Block) into law, effective January 1, 2011. This law confirms the direct service status of after-school program site coordinators who spend at least 85% of their work hours at the program site, thus eliminating the need to conduct administrative time studies for employees who meet that criteria.

Yours in Partnership,

Steven Amick
Executive Director

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Dear Colleagues,

Three bills that positively impact after-school programs in California have been passed by the Legislature and forwarded to the Governor for his consideration:

• AB 434 (Block) clarifies the direct service status of after-school site coordinators who spend at least 85% of their work hours at the program site.
• AB 2178 (Torlakson) permits after-school grantees to share required evaluation data with sub-contracted providers, and requires that the CDE to aggregate this data into statewide reports that link with the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System.
• SB 798 (DeSaulnier) sets aside 15% of any new federal after-school funding for summer programming. 

Please consider sending letters to the Governor urging his signature of these three bills. Copy the following templates to your agency letterhead, then sign and fax them to both the Governor at (916) 558-3160, and Secretary of Education Bonnie Reiss at (916) 323-3753.

AB 434 (Block) Letter of Support

AB 2178 (Torlakson) Letter of Support

SB 798 (DeSaulnier) Letter of Support

Yours in Partnership, 

Steven Amick
Executive Director

Dear Colleagues,

On August 4, the Budget Conference Committee voted unanimously to give voters the opportunity to repeal Proposition 49. Before this measure can be placed on the ballot, however, it must be approved by both houses of the Legislature and signed by the Governor.

The language will be contained in a "stand alone" trailer bill, which means that it will be voted up or down on its own merits, separate from other elements of the FY 2010/11 Budget Bill. This bill has not yet been assigned a number, but once a budget agreement has been reached, the legislative process will move very quickly. 

Now is the time to contact your State Senator and Assemblymember and urge them to oppose placing Proposition 49 back on the ballot. Click here to identify your local elected officials. Print and sign this template on your agency letterhead, and fax it to all legislators representing your service area.

In addition to faxing the letter(s), please consider following up with a phone call to emphasize these important facts:

• Placing Proposition 49 on the ballot will not result in any savings for the FY10/11 fiscal year.
•  California's pending Race to the Top application places great emphasis on after-school programs as evidence of its commitment to federal priorities like extended learning time. Abandoning that commitment could jeopardize the state's chances to garner up to $700 million in federal funding.
•  An initiative to repeal Proposition 49 would likely fail, as did recent attempts to repeal Propositions 10 and 63. 

An initiative that makes no impact on the budget, hurts our chances to secure badly needed federal subsidies, and has little chance of being approved by voters is a poor use of the state's thinly stretched resources. For more detailed talking points, click here.

When calling your elected officials, please ask to speak with the legislative aide in charge of K-12 education issues. Let them know that their vote on this trailer bill reflects their position on the value of after-school programs. Only a "nay" vote will demonstrate support for after-school providers and the families they serve.

Yours in Partnership, 

Steven Amick
Executive Director

Dear Colleagues,

Today, two bills previously referred by appropriations committees to suspense files, AB 434 (Block) and SB 798 (DeSaulnier), were passed. SB 798 will now go to an Assembly floor vote, and AB 434 will go to the Senate floor, along with AB 2178 (Torlakson) which unanimously passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 2.

• AB 434 (Block) clarifies the direct service status of after-school site coordinators who spend at least 85% of their work hours at the program site.
• AB 2178 (Torlakson) permits ASES grantees to share required evaluation data with sub-contracted providers, and requires that the CDE to aggregate this data into statewide reports that link with the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System.
• SB 798 (DeSaulnier) sets aside 15% of any new federal after-school funding for summer programming.

If these bills pass their respective floor votes, some time during the next two weeks, they will then be forwarded to the Governor for his consideration.

Yours in Partnership, 

Steven Amick
Executive Director

Dear Colleagues,

On August 4, members of the Budget Conference Committee voted unanimously to adopt the Senate Budget Committee's proposal to establish a budget trailer bill that would give voters the opportunity to repeal Proposition 49. During the Committee hearing, the Legislative Analyst's Office clarified that the bill would, pending voter approval, simply "unlock" the annual $550 million appropriation and give the Legislature the discretion to set after-school funding at any level they deem appropriate. There was no proposal to include ASES in categorical program flexibility. Committee Chair Ducheny also confirmed that because the proposal would have to go to voters for approval, the language would be contained in a "stand alone" bill, separate from other proposals in the FY 2010/11 Budget Bill.

The bill, if passed by the Legislature, would need to be signed by Governor Schwarzenegger before it could appear on the ballot. The Governor vetoed a similar trailer bill, AB 1526, in 2008, asserting that such a proposal would "contradict the will of the voters." It is anticipated the Governor would veto this new bill if it were to reach his desk. In fact, Senator Ducheny began her comments by asking, "Is there anyone besides the Governor who objects to the adoption of the Senate (proposal)?"

The bill has not yet been assigned a number, but LCAP will continue to track its progress and post opposition templates when it is in print. It is quite likely the language will be similar, if not identical, to AB 1526.

To view the three-minute testimony from the Budget Conference Committee hearing, click here and begin at 2:00:50. 

Yours in Partnership,

Steven Amick
Executive Director