Based on his record, State Senator Ted Lieu (D-Santa Monica) cares about pets, bears, tanning salons, and abandoned ships.
At the February 2013 meeting of the League of Humane Voters, I asked him about supporting the pupils in our state, not just the animals; the pet owners, not just the pets. He said that he would consider supporting a school choice bill, a reform which one of many animal enthusiasts at the convention supported.
State Senator Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) has just introduced SB 451, which would extend "open enrollment" to every public school in the state of California. No longer will students and parents have to suffer the education in a substandard school because they reside in the same zipcode. Choice will empower families while holding school districts and their administrators accountable with how they allocate, invest, and spend our tax dollars.
So far, State Senator Ted Lieu does not have a strong record on educational reform. He was one of four state senators who voted against SB 1530, which would have expedited the removal of teachers accused of misconduct or incompetence. If Lieu refuses to champion choice, and allow students to choose wherever they go to school in the state of California, then voters, no matter what their party affiliation, should choose not to elect him for another term in office.
Lieu would do well to heed the bitter example of former Assemblymember Betsy Butler, who helped kill SB 1530 in the state assembly, and thus killed her chances for reelection the following year.
Senator Lieu, our pets and the animals may not have a voice, but so far, neither do our students. Listen to their needs, and the needs of their parents. Support SB 451, and grant every child a choice where they may go to school.
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