In a 78 to zero vote, the California state assembly recently passed senate bill 735, a measure restoring over $112 million to California state community colleges.

Governor Gray Davis previously cut $126 million from the 2001-02 budgets of higher learning institutions, in an effort to restore California failing economy.

“After the governor cut the funding from the community college’s budget. I began a campaign promising that I would not rest until the legislature moved a measure this year to restore the funding,” said Robert Pacheco, California state assemblyman and a principle sponsor of Bill 735.

“Community colleges have been under funded for over a decade and the restoration of these funds is important to the promise that we have made to our communities regarding access to a quality higher education.”

This bill will restore $98 million to community colleges for maintenance, upkeep, and replacement of outdated instructional equipment.

An additional $148 million will also be restored, allowing campuses to continue ongoing construction work.