BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2412
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 2412 (Tran)
As Amended May 11, 2010
Majority vote
EDUCATION 5-0
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|Ayes:|Nestande, Arambula, | | |
| |Carter, Miller, Torlakson | | |
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| | | | |
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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 and President.
2)Adds February 6 of each year as Ronald Reagan Day to the list
of days having special significance; 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; and requires the
Governor to annually proclaim February 6 as Ronald Reagan Day.
3)Restructures the section of the Education Code related to days
of special significance so as to avoid current and future
technical conflicts.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires public schools to close on or for specified 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 requires, for
some of these specified holidays, schools to conduct exercises
or instruction that focus students on the purpose of that
holiday.
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2)Authorizes public schools to close on or for specified
holidays, if the governing board pursuant to an agreement
under collective bargaining agrees, that include Cesar Chavez
Day and Native American Day; also authorizes schools to
conduct exercises or instruction that focus students on the
purpose of these holidays.
3)Requires public schools to remain open, but to celebrate
specified holidays with appropriate commemorative exercises;
these days include 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 a number of days as days having special
significance, when public schools are encouraged to observe
and conduct suitable commemorative exercises, as specified.
These days include the Day of the Teacher, John Muir Day,
California Poppy Day, Harvey Milk Day, and Welcome Home
Vietnam Veterans Day.
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 in the late 1930's
moved to Los Angeles 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% 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 a run for the Republican presidential
nomination in 1968, as well as 1976, but won both the nomination
and the presidency in 1980. Shortly after taking office, he was
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wounded in an assassination attempt.
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
10 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 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.
AB 2412
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Analysis Prepared by : Gerald Shelton / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0004289