April 29, 2002 Governor, legislature authorize education bond measures By Brad Hayward, UC Office of the President Gov. Gray Davis and the California legislature have approved the placement of bond measures for public education facilities on the ballot in November 2002 and March 2004. The bond legislation also includes the acceleration of funding for a number of higher education facilities projects, including the Engineering Building at UCSC. Under the bill signed by the governor, AB 16, the 2002 bond measure would provide $13.05 billion for K-12 and higher education facilities over a two-year period. The 2004 measure would provide an additional $12.3 billion for that purpose over the following two years. The bond legislation also includes the acceleration of funding for a number of higher education facilities projects, including seven projects at the University of California, as part of a statewide economic stimulus package proposed by the governor in January. Lease-revenue bonds, which do not need voter approval, would fund the accelerated projects. Counting proceeds from both the general-obligation bonds and the lease-revenue bonds, the legislation will provide California public colleges and universities with $1.15 billion per year in facilities funding, for four years, if both bond measures win voter approval. UC campuses would receive $345 million per year to fund capital improvement projects at all UC campuses, including the new UC Merced campus. "The projects we have planned are critical to our ability to accommodate growing numbers of students, reinforce structures against earthquakes, and provide technologically up-to-date facilities for constantly evolving academic programs," said UC President Richard C. Atkinson. UC's current primary source of funding for facilities projects -- Proposition 1A, a bond measure approved by California voters in 1998 -- runs out this year. UC projects to be funded by the November 2002 and March 2004 general-obligation bond measures will be subject to approval by the governor and legislature each year. The UC projects that will be funded by lease-revenue bonds on an accelerated basis have already been approved and include the following: Engineering Building at UC Santa Cruz -- an engineering building providing research, classroom, and departmental space ($41.2 million). Veterinary Medicine 3A at UC Davis -- a teaching and research building needed to upgrade facilities for the School of Veterinary Medicine ($66.1 million). Natural Sciences Unit 2 at UC Irvine -- an interdisciplinary laboratory building for the Schools of Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences ($55.3 million). Site development and infrastructure at UC Merced ($16.4 million). Engineering Building Unit 2 at UC Riverside -- an engineering building providing space for teaching and research laboratories and departmental support ($35.7 million). Engineering Building Unit 3B at UC San Diego -- a facility providing new space for engineering, computer science, and related disciplines at Warren College ($37.4 million). Life Sciences Building at UC Santa Barbara -- a laboratory building providing modern instruction and research space for biological sciences programs ($26.9 million). Return to Front Page