California School Bond Bill Introduced

A California lawmaker introduced a bill this month that would put a state school construction bond proposition on a ballot in 2014.

Assembly Bill 41, from Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, would create a general obligation bond act to provide funds to construct and upgrade school facilities.

The bill doesn’t specify the amount of debt the Legislature would ask state voters to approve.

Voters last passed a school facilities bond act in 2006, and according to the State Treasurer’s Office, $2.6 billion of long-term bonds from that authorization remain unused.

Democratic state lawmakers have been emboldened by the capture of a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the Assembly in the November election.

That gives the party, assuming its members remain united, the ability to put propositions on the statewide ballot without requiring approval from Republicans.

Democrats have also proposed constitutional amendments, which also need two-thirds approval from lawmakers before going to voters, that would lower the vote requirement for schools and libraries to pass local parcel tax and bond measures.

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