In March, the Senate Committee on Education, under the leadership of Senator Josh Newman, conducted its inaugural policy hearing. This crucial event was dedicated to reviewing new bills that could potentially shape the landscape of California’s education system, spanning from K-12 to higher ed. Notably, three of these bills were introduced by Senator Josh Newman’s legislative team, underscoring their significance.

The first of those bills is SB 897, which expands and makes California’s “District of Choice” program permanent. District of Choice allows students to transfer to participating public school districts without securing permission from their home district. The program promotes competition within the public school system and, on average, gives participating students access to 5-7 new courses. This bill passed out of the Senate Education Committee with bipartisan support, with a vote of 7-0.

The second bill is SB 907, which will improve representation and expand voter access at the Orange County Board of Education by increasing the number of trustees from its current membership of five to seven and moving the Board’s elections from the primary ballot, as currently conducted, to the general election ballot in November. This bill passed out of the Senate Education Committee with a vote of 5-2.

The third education bill that has been heard is SB 1244, which would give high schools additional options for partnering with nearby community colleges to allow their students to participate in college-level courses that count toward their high school and college degrees. In addition to reducing the time and costs associated with obtaining a college degree, dual enrollment courses have also been found to enhance both the educational performance and future attainment of participating students, especially those who may be the first in their families to attend college.

Other bills by Senator Josh Newman that have already been heard in policy committees include SB 1138, which adds military entrance processing to the list of excused school absences, SB 1164, which aims to incentive accessory dwelling unit (ADU) construction by deferring property tax reassessment, and SB 1416, a part of the Safer California Plan that increases the penalties for the middlemen who sell items stolen from retail businesses as part of an organized theft ring.

After successfully clearing their first policy hearings, these bills are now poised for the next stage of their legislative journey. They are scheduled for either a second hearing in another policy committee with jurisdiction over their subject matter or to the Senate Appropriations Committee. This committee is responsible for considering the cumulative impacts of all bills in progress before they can potentially move forward to the Senate floor.