On June 8th, the Assembly and Senate met as part of the Budget Conference Committee. A compromise was reached on the differences between the Assembly and Senate versions of the budget bill and each chamber is expected to on the final version next week.

We are pleased that the Conference Committee actions recognize the indispensable role community colleges play in closing achievement gaps, and in developing and strengthening California’s economy and civic capacity. This is a constructive budget compromise that places attention on the long-term quality needs of community colleges and service to our students and communities.

The League is particularly grateful for the inclusion of additional resources for a base augmentation to support general operations and educational quality at our colleges. Community colleges continue to be the state’s best economic development strategy, to confront inequality, and to enhance civic capacity particularly for California’s most underserved populations.

Conference Committee Proposition 98 Agreement:
Determination of Proposition 98 revenues was a key item in the negotiation process. The Legislature approved the following Proposition 98 package: $74.5 billion for 2017-18, $71.5 billion for 2016-17, and $69.1 billion for 2015-16.

Community College 2017-18 Budget:
The League is appreciative of the Senate and Assembly’s support for one-time funding to ensure that Compton College can successfully transition to a stand-alone college. While we advocated for funding for all 29 capital facilities projects, we are appreciative that funding was included for six additional projects for a total of 15.

A chart with the full Budget Conference Committee agreement is available here.