Calif. Senate OKs bills on computer classes, juvenile record sealing
The state Senate on Monday approved a bill that would pave the way for high school computer classes to be counted as satisfying math requirements for admission to the California State University and University of California systems.
The measure by state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) would require the CSU system to develop guidelines for high school computer science courses to be approved for admission and request that the UC system, which is semiautonomous, do the same.
Padilla said computer classes are routinely counted as electives that don’t help meet admission requirements. “California is the birthplace of the computer age,” Padilla said, adding that the tech industry will need more than 1 million workers with computer skills in the next five years.
The bill also won Republican support. “This is correcting the curriculum to help kids get a job,” said Sen. Steve Knight (R-Palmdale).
The Senate also approved, with a party line vote, a measure that would allow juveniles convicted of nonviolent crimes to have their records sealed after they complete probation.
Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) authored SB 1038 to give young criminal offenders a second chance.
“This will allow young people to get on with their lives, to find jobs, complete their education,” Leno told his colleagues before the 23-13 vote to approve the bill and send it to the Assembly for consideration.
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