Education

Political Slant?

By Joetta L. Sack — April 12, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger got what he wanted earlier this month from the state attorney general—sort of.

On April 1, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer approved a ballot proposal backed by the Republican governor that would change the state’s budgeting process.

If the governor and his supporters get enough signatures in the next few weeks—as expected—the measure will likely be part of a statewide special election in the fall.

But the summary of the proposal wasn’t quite worded the way proponents had planned.

Instead, the summary, which is supposed to explain the plan to voters, gives top billing to ballot language that would lead to changes in Proposition 98, a state constitutional guarantee concerning education funding—wording that could significantly hurt its chances of passage.

Mr. Lockyer’s summary discusses school funding before the balanced-budget provisions that the governor and proponents of the measure have been stressing.

A surprise? Not so, suggest observers and pundits in California. The elected attorney general is also one of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s chief political opponents and a likely Democratic candidate for the 2006 governor’s race. His office did not return calls for comment.

“We think this might as well have been written on ‘Bill Lockyer for Governor’ letterhead,” said a staff member for Citizens to Save California, the grassroots group that is helping the governor collect signatures and campaign for the proposed changes.

Gov. Schwarzenegger, hoping to gain a policymaking edge over the Democratic-controlled legislature, wants to turn to voters with the budget plan and other ballot initiatives.

The strategy is politically risky for the governor—even without the new ballot summary—and education groups have already pledged vast resources to fight the measures. (“Schwarzenegger Takes School Plans to Voters,” March 16, 2005.)

Dan Walters, a columnist for the Sacramento Bee, theorized in a recent column that Gov. Schwarzenegger had lost ground on the issues because he and his allies had waited months to finalize language for the spending plan and file their ballot initiatives.

With no time left to file a court petition, Gov. Schwarzenegger has no recourse to change the summary language for a November election, he points out.

Related Tags:

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: May 17, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: May 3, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 26, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 29, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read