By Brenda Servin |Staff Writer|
A year after Proposition 30 was introduced, colleges have benefited after tax hike.
Proposition 30, a Sales and Income Tax Increase Initiative, was introduced during the 2012 elections sponsored by Gov. Jerry Brown.
Proposition 30 generates additional revenue for the public education system by raising the state’s sales tax by a quarter percent for four years and increasing the income tax rate up to 13.3 percent for Californians for those with a taxable income of over $1 million.
Without Proposition 30, California’s public schools and community colleges would have had $6 billion worth of budget cuts annually, according to The San Bernardino Sun.
According to the Official Voter Information Guide for the California General Elections, no to the proposition would have meant even more budget cuts for the California Public Educational System.
Since the passing of the proposition, a temporary sales tax increase along with an income tax increase on Californians that have an annual taxable income over $250,000 for seven years was implemented.
Many feared that the income tax increase would cause business owners to take their businesses to a different state.
“Although the wealthiest prefer to not pay higher taxes, no evidence exists that these increased taxes will have a bad effect on the California economy, said CSUSB Economics Professor Eric Nilsson
“The wealth will not leave the state because of this relatively modest tax increase and no evidence exists that fewer small businesses will be formed,” added Nilsson.
The revenue from Proposition 30 will go towards funding programs in the state budget.
Many school districts have been able to reinstate programs they had previously cut and avoided laying off any more teachers, counselors and staff.
In the Los Angeles Unified School District both summer classes and adult classes were restored along with five unpaid furlough days, according to The San Bernardino Sun.
San Bernardino County’s Chaffey Joint Union High School District was able to restore its 180-day calendar along with setting aside for supplies and equipment and providing tutors for struggling students.
The California State University system has kept its promise of not raising tuition fees this year due to the approval of Proposition 30 which passed $250 million on to the system according to The OC Register.
“I was really happy when I found out that Prop 30 had passed tuition was getting higher and higher every year, it’s good that we get a break,” said CSUSB student Rosa Rubio.
According to the “Thom Hartmann Program,” Proposition 30 does not specifically state that it will keep California college’s tuition rates the same.
Assembly Bill 67 by Assemblyman Jeff Gorell and Senate Bill 58 by Senator Anthony Cannella were introduced due to the fact that Proposition 30 does not guarantee an end to tuition rate increases.
Both of the bills were meant to prevent tuition rates and fees from rising at all California State University (CSU), University of California (UC) and community college campuses.
Tuition would remain the same for a span of at least seven years under the proposal, which is the same amount of time that the tax increases from Proposition 30 would be in effect.
Both pieces of legislation are currently active.
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