The Public Policy Institute of California held a panel Tuesday, where leaders of the state Legislature spoke on the issues lawmakers are facing and their priorities going into the next session.
Speakers included Kevin de León, president pro tem of the Senate; Jean Fuller, Republican leader of the Senate; Chad Mayes, Republican leader of the Assembly; and Anthony Rendon, Assembly speaker. A mix of Republicans and Democrats, the group gave an interesting perspective on the direction of California’s public policy with the incoming federal administration.
Following the recent release of Gov. Jerry Brown’s fiscal year 2017-18 budget proposal, the conversation seemed to center around how to bolster California’s economy, particularly in the areas of unemployment and education. But how will bipartisanship and the state’s new federal counterparts impact fiscal progress?
In response to this question, de León voiced concern for the state’s future, subjectively speaking about how he believes the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen in the next four years.
“We know the data points,” he said when asked about potential economic outcomes following the recent election. “The question is, what are we going to do about it?”
The group unanimously agreed that the fight against poverty begins with improving K-12 and higher education as a way to help create upward mobility within the workforce. Fuller, a former district superintendent, said the state can enhance the education system by providing more school options to students. Increasing choices would ultimately promote competition among schools, raise standards and help students choose a learning environment conducive to their needs.
Fuller also noted that higher education institutions struggle to read the job market and highlighted leveraging Career Technical Education (CTE), a type of schooling that integrates occupational learning in curriculum, as a possible solution to improving unemployment. In agreement, de León predicted that CTE will be one of California’s biggest economic drivers in the coming years.
Although speakers reached a consensus regarding the importance of education in the economy, making college more affordable is an ongoing struggle for the state. According to Rendon, funding for schools isn’t at the level is should be as a result of previous budget cuts.
The panel said the state is exploring potential remedies for this lack of capital, such as voucher programs paid with tax dollars. In addition, de León added that the California State University and University of California systems will be opening around 20,000 additional enrollment slots.
