SCA 12:确保加州大学优先录取本州学生的宪法修正案
Alex Chen-1199 05/04 16450
4.8/12
-Alex Chen, SVCA(硅谷华人协会), alexchen@svca.me
2016/5/3注定是个不平凡的日子。
这一天,全美人民的目光都聚焦在印第安纳州:共和党候选人Donald Trump与Ted Cruz在这里决一雌雄,Cruz倾尽全力要在这最后一个堡垒阻击Trump。Trump赢,则前方一马平川,基本敲定共和党提名;Cruz赢,则很可能将对手拖入6月的加州,让黄金州人民来决定是否把Trump交给7月的全国共和党代表大会。 大战之前,Cruz动作连连,与老三Kasich达成协定,让其退出在此州的竞选活动好为自己让路,并拉已退出的候选人/前HP女CEO Fiorina做竞选搭档,甚至拿到了印第安纳州州长的背书(虽然被人笑称史上最弱的背书),可惜并未能阻止自己民调下滑的趋势。而到大战这一天,双方都火力全开,隔空对战到了前所未有的激烈程度,甚至连Cruz的老爸都跟着躺枪,而Cruz也将压抑良久的一腔怒火毫无保留地洒向对方。结果揭晓,印第安纳州选民做出了自己的选择:Trump如愿以偿,以53.3%:36.7%的绝对领先优势拿下印州;Cruz认输,在发表了深情告别演说后黯然退选。共和党全国委员会主席很快发声,号召全党团结在Trump身后,准备迎接11月与民主党候选人的巅峰决战,留下 Kasich独自一人倔强地在一眼望不到头的黑暗中苦苦挣扎(更新:Kasich已于2016/5/4下午发声明正式宣布退选,至此Trump已成共和党总统提名的唯一候选人,提前锁定提名)。
也是这一天,另一场战争在加州参议院的司法委员会悄悄打响:由三位共和党参议员Sharon Runner(R-SD21), Robert(Bob) Huff(R-SD29), Anthony Cannella(R-SD12)提出的加州参议院第12号宪法修正案(SCA 12, Senate Constitutional Amendment No.12)在司法委员会举行公听,2014年反SCA5先驱/加州华人的老朋友Bob Huff参议员做现场陈述
表达了对加州大学(University of California)近年来为收取高学费而优先录取外州/国际学生,把本州学生置于不利处境的担忧,以及希望通过SCA 12来修改加州宪法,确保9所加大在本科录取时把本州学生放在最高优先级,以及加州大学应以服务本州学生为主要目的和应尽义务。
"Between 2010 and 2015, the system-wide number of California uìndergraduates declined while the number of non-resident undergraduates surged by more than 20,000 students. The non-resident fees paid by these students provide the University of California nearly half a billion dollars in additional revenue each year. The University of California’s open pursuit of the $24,000.00 in additional fees paid annually by each non-resident student has raised public concerns. SCA 12 will ensure that California residents are not displaced by less qualified non-resident students simply because the University of California is after higher fees."
SCA 12自2016/2/19第一次提出,历经几次修改,到2016/5/3的公听会上已由初稿的5句增加改到只留下极其精简的一句。这些修改是在加州原来的宪法第9条第9节(Section 9 of Article IX)下面添加:
下面是初稿的新增条文:
(h) (1) As administrators of a public trust, the regents shall act in the best interests of the people of California, and shall honor a fiduciary duty to California residents who aspire to take advantage of the University of California's promise of a high-quality college education.
(2) No later than July 1, 2017, the regents shall ensure that all campuses of the University of California report, on their Internet Web sites, or report using a successor technology, uniform application, admission, and freshman class profiles including, but not necessarily limited to, all standardized test scores and grade-point averages presented in the same statistical format employed pursuant to the Common Data Set Initiative or a successor database. Separate uniform statistical profiles shall be reported for California students, out-of-state students, and international
students enrolled at each campus.
(3) The average statistical profile of out-of-state and international freshman students enrolled at each campus of the University of California shall be no lower than the average statistical profile of in-state freshman students at that campus.
(4) The information required to be reported under paragraph (2) shall be updated on at least an annual basis.
(5) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the duty of the regents to report information to the public under this subdivision shall be self-executing, but subject to statutory implementation and audit requirements to maximize transparency and ensure compliance.
而2016/5/3日公听会上的是2016/4/13的修改版(Bob Huff加入之后)
(h) As administrators of a public trust, the regents shall act in the best interests of the people of California. The regents shall honor their fiduciary duty to California residents who aspire to take advantage of the University of California's promise of a high-quality college education by ensuring that priority in admissions is given to applicants who are California residents.
为减小各种阻力,重点体现宪法精神,这最后浓缩的短短一句直指要害,确保加州大学应该把本州学生放到第一录取优先级。目前SCA 12已于2016/4/27无反对票过了加州选举与宪法修正案委员会,接下来会经历若干委员会和两院投票,如果顺利通过各委员会,并得到两院的2/3多数支持,将会被列入11月大选选票,交到加州选民手中;届时若获半数以上加州选民的支持,将被直接写入加州宪法而不需要州长批准。目前看来,SCA 12虽面临一些阻碍,但因获得两党共同支持,也应该会被加州选民认可,前途一片光明。
最后,让我们一起对上面三位参议员,尤其是是Bob Huff和Meimei Huff夫妇表示衷心的感谢!
(2016/05/10更新:有朋友看完问如何感谢Bob Huff,在此特别添加如下信息。目前Bob Huff正在竞选洛杉矶第五郡郡长,这对其政治生涯及其重要,欢迎华人朋友积极投票和捐款,下面是竞选网站和捐款链接,