Democrats to Ask Legislature to Put School Bond Measure on Ballot

Democratic legislative leaders announced Sunday night that they would seek approval of both houses to place a $9.2-billion school bond proposal before voters in June, despite solid opposition from GOP counterparts and Gov. Pete Wilson.

State Senate Leader John Burton (D-San Francisco) and Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) emerged from a meeting with Wilson and Republican legislative leaders declaring that an attempt to reach a bipartisan accord had ended in failure.

Burton said Democrats would push for the two-thirds majority needed in the Assembly and Senate for their own bond deal and hope pressure from schools and parents would force “their elected representatives to put [the bond measure] on the ballot.”

But Wilson, accompanied by Senate Republican Leader Rob Hurtt of Garden Grove and Assembly GOP chief Bill Leonard of San Bernardino, came out of the meeting saying, “No, certainly not,” when asked if he would sign the Democratic bond proposal if it reached his desk.

“That would be punting,” the governor said, because the Democratic proposal lacks “reform” measures such as strengthening the requirement that local districts match, dollar for dollar, state financial aid.

Another point of partisan contention: Democrats want to relax the two-thirds majority by which school bonds must be approved in local school district elections. Republicans, considering bond debt a tax increase for property owners, resist lowering the threshold.

Burton said the $9.2-billion school bond fund would be spent over four years on kindergarten through high school needs, as well as for higher education. It would also include $100 million over that period for day care facilities.

In addition to Wilson’s opposition, the measure also faces a bleak outlook in the Legislature. Burton said he was certain that he could muster the 27 votes needed in the 40-seat upper house on behalf of the bond deal.

But in the Assembly, the 11 Republican votes needed--in addition to all 43 Democratic votes--to pass such a measure appeared more doubtful. Leonard said he was confident that the Republicans would vote the bond deal down unless there was agreement on several side issues.