Lawmakers want to ask voters to strip UC autonomy

SACRAMENTO (KGO) -- Two state lawmakers on Thursday escalated the dispute over University of California tuition increases by putting forth a constitutional amendment that would effectively strip the system of its autonomy.

Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, and Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, introduced Senate Constitutional Amendment 1, which they hope to place before voters on the November 2016 ballot. SCA1 would give the Legislature new oversight powers, such as vetoing tuition increases and executive pay raises.

"I am proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to keep our state's world renowned institution of higher education accountable to California taxpayers," Lara said in a statement. "It behooves us, and ultimately the voters, to revisit the concentrated power and autonomy of the UC Board of Regents which appears to be out of touch with average working class families."

The UC Board of Regents approved tuition increases for each of the next five years, totaling 28 percent, unless the state gives more money to the 10-campus system.

UC spokesman Steve Montiel said the proposal was not constructive. There are ongoing discussions with Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders about maintaining a premier public research university while expanding access to California students, Montiel said.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, both Democrats, have introduced plans to increase state funding to avoid the tuition increases while demanding more transparency and efficiencies from the 10-campus system.

"This proposal, however, is a distraction from the central issue of the state's funding of higher education and the goals of affordability and access," Montiel said. "It's unclear what the goal is."

Montiel added that the university is already accountable to lawmakers, including regular reports of the budget and in its annual accountability report.

The UC opened its first campus in 1869. Under the California Constitution, the system is to "be entirely independent of all political and sectarian influence" and is to be kept free to administer its affairs. That's different from the California State University's authority, which can be modified by the Legislature.

Tuition has been frozen at the UC for the past three years following a series of increases that nearly doubled rates since 2006. Under the plan approved last month by the Board of Regents, the average annual cost for a California resident would increase by $612 next fall, to $12,804. The total cost would grow to $15,564 by fall 2019.

Lara and Cannella need two-thirds support in the Assembly and Senate to put their amendment before voters.

The constitutional amendment would allow the Board of Regents to continue to govern the university system, but "subjected only to that legislative control as may be necessary to ensure the security of its funds and compliance with the terms of the endowments of the university."

It also says the UC shall focus its recruitment on California residents.

The percentage of UC students who are not state residents has risen steadily in recent years as officials have tried to offset cuts in state funding with the higher tuition nonresidents pay. About 30 percent of accepted freshmen this fall are from out-of-state or are international students.

Atkins has proposed capping nonresident enrollment, and Democratic legislative proposals in the Assembly and Senate call for increasing tuition rates for out-of-state students.

The university has come under criticism for tuition hikes and high salaries paid to administrators. Even as UC struggled with budget cuts a few years ago, the board approved pay raises for senior-level employees.

Earlier this year, UC President Janet Napolitano led the board in boosting the six-figure salaries of chancellors in the system by as much as 20 percent, part of an effort she said was aimed at bringing the salaries in line with their counterparts elsewhere.