Assembly Rejects Compromise Bill for Special Education Programs

A compromise bill to extend the life of six special education programs was rejected by the Assembly on Monday as Republican lawmakers balked at voting for certain programs geared primarily for poor inner-city schoolchildren.

Although bilingual education had been stripped from the measure in an effort to improve its political prospects, the bill by Assemblywoman Teresa P. Hughes (D-Los Angeles) went down to defeat on a 48-29 vote, six short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage.

Hughes immediately asked for reconsideration of the legislation, which would give a five-year extension to programs for gifted and talented students and special education for children with physical, mental and learning disabilities. The programs are due to expire at midnight Thursday, the end of the fiscal year.

In addition, the bill would reactivate four programs that expired a year ago--economic impact aid for poor, educationally disadvantaged students; the Miller-Unruh program, which provides schools with reading specialists; Indian education, and a school improvement program, which provides grants for curriculum and staff development.

Education officials discounted the possible impact of Monday’s vote, saying local school districts could continue to offer the programs even in the absence of a state law.

“We still have an obligation to provide a program for these students, provided the money is there,” said Ronald Prescott, lobbyist for the Los Angeles Unified School District. But, he noted, the district “obviously would prefer to have statutory support” to guarantee funding for the programs.

Earlier this month, advocates of bilingual education bowed to political realities and agreed to drop bilingual education from the bill to enhance chances of reviving the other six so-called categorical programs.

Cleared the Senate

The revised measure without bilingual education cleared the Senate on a 30-5 vote last Thursday but ran into trouble on the first roll call in the Assembly.

Assemblyman Charles Bader (R-Pomona) supported continuation of the special education and gifted and talented programs, but not the four other programs, which he called “overly prescriptive” and “top-heavy with administration.”

Bader said Assembly Republicans want each program reviewed on its merits and will not accept lumping all the categorical programs together in one bill.

Hughes defended the entire package. “I ask if you care about all of the kids of this state meeting all of their educational needs, you vote for this bill,” she said. “If you only care for a select few, vote no.”

Some Criticism

Hughes was criticized by Assemblyman Charles M. Calderon (D-Alhambra) for removing bilingual education from the bill. His criticism prompted Assemblyman Curtis R. Tucker (D-Inglewood) to accuse Calderon of a “cheap shot.”

Hughes said she agreed to remove bilingual education from the measure in the hope that it would avoid a veto from Gov. George Deukmejian.

“I care a great deal about those students who do not have the opportunity to have a bridge from their native language to standard American English,” Hughes said. “That’s what bilingual education provides for these students.”

Hughes said she had not given up on her commitment to bilingual education, but was merely accepting political reality.

Deukmejian’s education adviser, Peter Mehas, said the Administration “sent a very, very clear signal that if bilingual education was in the bill we would look very, very disfavorably upon it.”

But Mehas said that there was “no commitment that if it was removed, it would guarantee a signature” on the revised bill to extend categorical programs.

“The governor’s position has been very consistent on categorical programs,” Mehas said. “Each categorical should be reviewed on its own merits.”