BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2572|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2572
Author: Furutani (D)
Amended: 8/6/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ELECTIONS & CONST. AMEND. COMM. : 3-2, 7/03/12
AYES: Correa, Lieu, Yee
NOES: La Malfa, Gaines
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 46-25, 5/10/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Los Angeles Community College District:
governing board
elections
SOURCE : Los Angeles Community College District
DIGEST : This bill, commencing with the 2013 election,
authorizes the governing board of the Los Angeles Community
College District (LACCD) to adopt a resolution by majority
vote to enact an alternative method by which members of the
governing board may be elected at large and by individual
seat number, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Existing law generally provides that trustees
of a community college district shall be elected by using
one of the following methods:
Election of a candidate who resides and is registered to
vote in the trustee area he/she seeks to represent, by
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only the voters of the same trustee area; or
Election of a candidate who resides and is registered to
vote in the trustee area he/she seeks to represent, by
the voters of the entire community college district
(at-large).
Existing law requires trustees of the LACCD to be elected
from individual trustee areas by voters of the entire
district (at-large) and establishes seat numbers for board
member elections. Members hold office for four years with
elections held every odd-numbered year. Elections for the
numbered seats are staggered with seats 1, 3, 5, and 7
appearing on the same ballot while seats 2, 4, and 6
appearing on the following ballot. LACCD primary elections
are held the first Tuesday in April of every odd-numbered
year with run-off elections (if necessary) held the last
Tuesday in May of every odd-numbered year.
Existing law provides that if no candidate for a LACCD seat
receives more than 50 percent of the total votes cast in
the primary election, a run-off election must be held
between the two candidates receiving the highest number of
votes.
This bill, commencing with the 2013 election, for the
governing board of the LACCD and each election thereafter,
the governing board may adopt a resolution by majority vote
to enact an alternative method by which members of the
governing board of the LACCD may be elected at large and by
individual seat number wherein, upon certification of the
election, the candidate with the highest number of votes
for an individual seat number shall be deemed the candidate
elected for that individual seat number.
Comments
According to the author's office, under existing law, the
LACCD is required to have its elections coincide with the
City of Los Angeles. If a candidate receives less than 50
percent of the vote in the initial election, then the
district must hold a run-off for the top two vote-getters.
The requirement for a primary and a run-off has created a
significant financial burden for the LACCD. The process of
holding an additional election has reduced the district's
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resources that would otherwise go toward meeting its core
mission of serving students and the community.
Enactment of this bill eliminates the requirement that the
LACCD conduct a run-off election if no candidate receives
more than 50 percent of the vote. The change will save the
district $3 million to $5 million every two years. The
savings could be redirected to the district's core mission
of serving students.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/8/12)
Los Angeles Community College District
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 46-25, 5/10/12
AYES: Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Block,
Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan,
Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Chesbro, Davis,
Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Galgiani, Gatto,
Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso,
Huffman, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell,
Monning, Pan, Perea, Portantino, Skinner, Swanson,
Torres, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada
NOES: Achadjian, Bill Berryhill, Conway, Cook, Donnelly,
Beth Gaines, Garrick, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Halderman,
Harkey, Jones, Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell,
Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Silva, Smyth, Valadao, Wagner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cedillo, Fletcher, Furutani, Gordon,
Jeffries, Olsen, V. Manuel P�rez, Solorio, John A. P�rez
DLW:d 8/8/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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