BILL ANALYSIS
SB 944
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 944 (Runner and Strickland)
As Amended June 23, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :34-0
EDUCATION 5-1
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|Ayes:|Nestande, Arambula, | | |
| |Carter, Miller, Torlakson | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Ammiano | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Designates February 6 of each year as Ronald Reagan
Day, a day of special significance. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes legislative findings and declarations regarding the
life, career, contributions and death of Ronald Reagan,
including his accomplishments as both Governor of California
and President of the United States.
2)Adds February 6 as Ronald Reagan Day to the list of days
having special significance, and requires the Governor to
annually proclaim February 6 as Ronald Reagan Day.
3)Encourages all public schools and educational institutions to
observe this day and conduct exercises remembering the life of
Ronald Reagan, recognizing his accomplishments, and
familiarizing pupils with the contributions he made to this
state.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires public schools to close on or for a number of
holidays, including, January 1, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Day, Lincoln Day, Washington Day, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor
Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, December 25, all days
appointed by the Governor or the President for a public fast,
thanksgiving or holiday, and any other day designated as a
holiday by the governing board of the school district; also
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requires, for some of these holidays, that schools conduct
exercises or instruction that focus students on the purpose of
that holiday.
2)Authorizes public schools to close on or for other holidays,
if the governing board pursuant to an agreement under
collective bargaining agrees; these include Cesar Chavez Day
and Native American Day. Also authorizes public schools to
conduct exercises or instruction that focus students on the
purpose of these holidays.
3)Requires public schools to remain open and celebrate specific
holidays with appropriate commemorative exercises, including
the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the
United States, the birthday of Luther Burbank, Susan B.
Anthony Day, and the anniversary of the death of Crispus
Attucks (Black American Day).
4)Designates the Day of the Teacher, John Muir Day, California
Poppy Day, Harvey Milk Day and Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans
Day as days having special significance, when public schools
are encouraged to observe and conduct specified commemorative
exercises.
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal.
COMMENTS : Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 - June 5,
2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981-1989)
and the 33rd Governor of California (1967-1975). Reagan was
born in Tampico, Illinois, attended nearby Eureka College,
worked as a sports announcer in radio, and moved to Los Angeles
in the late 1930's to begin a career as an actor; he appeared
first in films and later television, eventually appearing in 52
movie productions. Reagan also served twice as the president of
the Screen Actors Guild (1947-52, 1959-60). Originally a member
of the Democratic Party, he switched to the Republican Party in
1962. He was elected Governor of California in 1966 and served
two terms. As Governor of California he sought to impose tax
cuts of 10 per cent across the board, found that budgets could
be cut only slowly, and went on to preside over expanding state
budgets and some of largest tax increases in California history.
He also supported increased spending on higher education, and
worked to implement a return to the use of the death penalty.
He was defeated in runs for the Republican presidential
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nomination in 1968 and 1976, but won both the nomination and
presidency in 1980.
His presidential administration adopted policies based on
supply-side economics, including large tax cuts, reductions in
funding for social services and cuts to education, in an effort
to promote rapid economic growth and reduce the federal deficit.
These proposals, when implemented, succeeded in lowering
inflation but led to a dramatic increase in the national debt by
1986; this effect is estimated by economists to have been
somewhere between a doubling and a quadrupling of the national
debt. He also began a large peacetime military buildup,
including the proposed construction of the Strategic Defense
Initiative; concluded a treaty with the Soviet Union to restrict
intermediate-range nuclear weapons; conducted a proxy war
against Nicaragua by supporting the counterrevolutionary
Contras; and invaded the Caribbean island nation of Grenada in
order to prevent Soviet influence. His tough stance toward the
Soviet Union and communism, along with his increasing
expenditures on the military, is generally credited with
contributing to the demise of Soviet communism and to the end of
the Cold War. In 1994, the former president disclosed that he
had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease earlier in the year;
he died ten years later at the age of 93. Many public polls
rank Reagan high among former U.S. presidents in terms of
approval rating, and most surveys of presidential scholars rank
him in the first or second quartile in terms of presidential
success.
This bill requires the Governor to proclaim February 6 as Ronald
Reagan Day, and designates February 6 as a day having special
significance. This bill does not result in additional average
daily attendance or funding for a school district, nor does it
result in an additional holiday or day of school closure. The
designation of a day of special significance simply triggers
statutory encouragement for public schools to observe the day
and to conduct commemorative exercises suitable to the day, as
specified in law; however, the decision as to whether to observe
any day of special significance or to conduct suitable
commemorative exercises is left to the local district. If this
day is observed, then suitable exercises would recognize Ronald
Reagan's life and accomplishments, as well as the contributions
that he made to this state and country.
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Analysis Prepared by : Gerald Shelton / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0004965