SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) congratulated The Long Beach College Promise as the prizewinner of Governor Jerry Brown’s Awards for Innovation in Higher Education.

A partnership between the Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach, The Long Beach College Promise was awarded the top $5 million prize in recognition of the partners’ outstanding initiatives to increase the number of bachelor degrees awarded, ease state education transfers and ensure students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years.

John B. Mockler Memorialized as “Father” of Proposition 98

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill 158, authored by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), was signed by Governor Jerry Brown yesterday after receiving unanimous, bipartisan support in the state legislature. The bill, introduced in recognition of California’s premier education finance expert, designates the code responsible for implementing California’s Proposition 98 as the John B. Mockler Education Finance Act.

John Mockler, a well-respected authority in the world of education policy, passed away last month from pancreatic cancer at the age of 73. Primarily known as the author of Proposition 98, the state’s constitutional guarantee to increased education funding, Mockler was also a consummate advocate for disadvantaged and disabled students.

Sacramento – Today, Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell’s (D-Long Beach) legislation to provide more support and a safer learning environment for LGBTQ students was heard by the Assembly’s Education Committee.

“As a former classroom teacher, I can say first-hand that school climate has a direct impact on how well students learn, and how well they interact with their peers. Despite much progress, California LGBTQ students continue to face verbal, physical, and online harassment.

O’Donnell advances the Long Beach Agenda

Sacramento – Today, Assembly Bill 204, authored by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), passed its first legislative hurdle with unanimous, bipartisan support. The bill, which is sponsored by the City of Long Beach, allows local governments in Los Angeles County to continue to control the wind-down of their redevelopment agencies.

Current law requires, by July 1, 2016, all local oversight boards in Los Angeles County to consolidate into a single entity. Given the large number of local boards in the Los Angeles, this “one-size-fits-all” approach unfairly burdens cities and removes local control.

Long Beach – Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) will be hosting a 70th District Women of Distinction event this Saturday recognizing women who go above and beyond for their community. Women from across the district were nominated by their colleagues in one of five categories: Arts, Business, Community Service, Education, and Health Services.