UPDATE: Senator Ed Hernandez Announces Bicameral Commission on SCA 5 and Equal O

March 17, 2014 (626)430-2499

 Senator Ed Hernandez Announces Bicameral Commission on SCA 5 and

Equal Opportunity in Higher Education

 (Sacramento, CA)---In collaboration with Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and

Speaker John Perez, we are announcing the formation of a joint Senate and Assembly

Commission tasked with holding hearings up and down the state to solicit expert

testimony, as well as public input, concerning SCA 5 and equal opportunity in

California』s public institutions of higher learning.

 Given the scare tactics and misinformation used by certain groups opposed to SCA 5,

we felt it was necessary to have a discussion based on facts and take the time to hear

from experts on the challenges our public universities and colleges face with regards

to diversity, as well as the implications for California』s workforce and our overall

competitiveness in a global economy. Although I have met with, and will continue to

meet with, individuals and organizations that have concerns regarding SCA 5, these

Commission hearings will be yet another opportunity for people to have their voices

heard.

 Even though SCA 5 has been moving through the Legislature since early last year, I

have agreed to hold the bill until this Commission has completed its work and allow

even more time for a robust and constructive debate about how we improve and

expand opportunities in California』s higher education system. I look forward to the

discussions ahead and the opportunity to work with my colleagues in the Senate and

the Assembly, and all Californians, to address the serious inequities in our higher

education system