VENTURA COUNTY — The League of United Latin American Citizens says Assemblyman Das Williams deliberately misled the organization in discussions on Assembly Bill 955, the organization reported in a media release on Wednesday.
Williams released a statement Friday disagreeing with LULAC’s contention and said there will still be “substantial time” for public discussion before the bill moves to the State Senate.
Assembly Bill 955 is designed to allow colleges to offer a two-tier tuition program where students could pay higher fees for certain sought-after summer and winter session classes needed for graduation or transfer. Media reports say the bill has been supported by community college districts in Long Beach and Riverside, but opposed by districts in Los Angeles and San Diego. The bill would next have to be approved by the State Senate before being sent on to Gov. Brown for his signature.
In talks with LULAC officials last week and this week Williams claimed no action on the legislation was forthcoming until after the organization’s membership had an opportunity to discuss the bill at it’s June 1 regular meeting.
“We were essentially hoodwinked and lied to” LULAC’s District Director Dave Rodriguez stated in the release.
In a May 1 conference call with Williams, Rodriguez and LULAC’s Deputy Director Dr. Elena Cruz were briefed on the legislation and raised several concerns. During the conference call Williams said that there would be ample opportunity to vet the legislation before the bill was considered by the California State Assembly.
In follow-up conversations between LULAC officials and William’s staff there was more discussion on the proposed June 1 meeting with LULAC members.
“It is LULACs position that the legislation imposes an extreme hardship on students who lack the financial resources to attend community college,” Maria Elena Cruz, deputy district Director and chair of LULAC’s Education Commission, LULAC – Ventura County, stated in the release. “Proposing that the solution to the budget crisis facing our community colleges is to over-charge the very students who need them most and can least afford it is a regressive notion and one we strongly oppose.”
Williams disagreed.
“I am disappointed with the path the leadership of LULAC has chosen to take,” Williams stated in a release on Friday. “Choosing to be combative on this issue does a disservice to the honorable men and women who make up the LULAC membership. The leadership’s representation of this situation is not how I or others recollect our conversations on this important issue. It’s also clear that the bill needed to heard before May 31 to move to the Senate, per the public legislative calendar. There will still be substantial time for public discussion on the bill before a final vote in the Senate.
“My goal was to meet with the membership directly on June 1 to talk about the merits of AB 955 and hear their voices on the matter,” Williams stated. “I have long been an advocate for the economic and educational advancement of Latinos. I believe AB 955 will help Latinos and all students who are seeking to access our community college system and complete their educational goals. One study shows that if we do nothing, the demand for a community college education will grow by more than 28 percent among California’s Latino population over a 10-year period, but the state’s overcrowded community colleges will not have room for 840,000 Latino students. To do nothing means that I agree with the status quo and the status quo is unacceptable and hurts the very students we are all concerned about. It’s important that we all work together to find solutions to this problem and be collaborative if we want to achieve our shared educational goals.”
In a media release on Monday, May 20, Williams said the bill would increase access to community colleges and allow colleges to offer courses at cost to students who choose to take them during summer and winter intersessions.
“This is a choice,” Williams stated in the release. “These same courses at the lower fees would still be offered during the regular academic year. But if students choose to pay a higher fee during a summer or winter session, this would allow them that opportunity.”
LULAC said its position echoed concerns voiced by many organizations including the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC) who wrote Williams that AB 955 provides relief only for those students who have money, putting an excessive cost onto our students and establishing a systemic rift between those who have and those who do not.” (see attached letter)
Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC) in a statement issued on May 6, 2013: “AB955 allows community colleges to establish a two-tier fee structure for summer and winter intersession course (and) will ultimately convert the colleges to institutions favoring the privileged.”
Under AB955, community colleges are projected to increase tuition rates 400 percent when regular sessions are at capacity and additional classes are needed to meet the increased demand. Students willing to pay the higher fee will be allowed to enroll in the premium courses rather than wait in line for a slot to open in regular tuition session.
About LULAC:
Founded in 1929, LULAC is a national civil rights organization dedicated to the equitable treatment of all citizens and residents of the community. Our organization maintains a membership in excess of 120,000 members nationwide. Our Mission is to advance the educational attainment, economic condition, health, civil rights, and political empowerment of the Hispanic population of the United States through community based programs operating in over 700 membership chapters throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. There are 7 Ventura County Chapters of the organization.