Dive Brief:
- California legislators are sending a bill to Gov. Jerry Brown that would give 2016 voters the opportunity to annul Proposition 227, a bill that requires most schools to only teach in English.
- Senate Bill 1174, giving voters the right to repeal the ban on bilingual education, was passed (25-10) Tuesday night, much to the chagrin of Republican legislators.
- Bilingual education was banned, via Prop 227, in 1998.
Dive Insight:
Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), who wrote SB 1174, told the Sacramento Bee that educational research and public attitudes have changed drastically in the 16-years since Prop 227 was enacted. Specifically, Lara has said the bill matches the changing needs of the global economy. How California voters will respond to the bill will indicate much about shifting demographics, acceptance, and the diversity of the state.