Torrico Joins Student Leaders at the Capitol in Support of AB 656

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Torrico Joins Student Leaders at the Capitol in Support of AB 656
 

The bill to raise an estimated $2 billion for higher education is supported by coalition of students, faculty and over 60,000 grassroots activists

Majority Leader Alberto Torrico joined student leaders from all University of California campuses and the University of California Student Association (UCSA) today in Sacramento to build support for AB 656, a bill that will help close the funding gap for California’s public universities and colleges.

Majority Leader Torrico authored AB 656 – a bill that will create a 12.5% oil severance tax to generate an estimated $2 billion per year for California’s University of California campuses, the California State University system and for community colleges.  Momentum continues to build for AB 656 as advocates are more than halfway to reaching their goal of over 100,000 supporters – making it one of the most successful grassroots efforts in California’s legislative history. AB 656 has also garnered the support of the 700,000-member Courage Campaign and has quickly gained 8,500 additional supporters at Facebook.com/FairTuition.

California is the only major oil producing state without an oil severance fee. Torrico’s AB 656 calls for an oil extraction fee that is well below the oil fee in Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Torrico’s bill includes protections against the fee being passed on to consumers.

“Making sure students receive a quality education is key to California’s future and to public safety,” said Torrico. “With 60% of inmates functionally illiterate, education is the best strategy to rehabilitate criminals and to keep Californians safe.”

AB 656 is also supported by the California State Student Association, California Faculty Association, Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, California Teachers Association and the Service Employees International Union, and will be one of the central subjects of the upcoming Statewide Day of Action on Thursday, March 4, featuring Majority Leader Torrico as the keynote speaker on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento.  Over 1,000 participants are expected.

Earlier this academic year, the UC Board of Regents and the CSU Board of Trustees voted to raise tuition fees 32% and 10% respectively. In response, students organized some of the largest and most impassioned on-campus protests in recent memory. At over $10,000, UC tuition has nearly tripled over the past decade. And next year, the CSU system will deny admission to 50,000 students because of state funding cuts.

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