The bill would prohibit CSU and UC executives from increasing monetary compensation, approving bonuses and raising executive salaries until a minimum of two years after the last system-wide fee increase. It would forbid the executives from using foundation money for salary raises. The bill would also prohibit these actions in years in which state funding has been decreased.
Yee passed a similar bill in 2009, SB 86, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. Last March, Yee tried to pass a similar bill, SB 967, but it failed to pass through the Senate Education Committee.
Opponents cite that the bill does not protect donor anonymity. They emphasize that UC Foundations are separate, private, non-profit organizations that are not supported by tax dollars.
In a Dec. 4 press release on Yee’s website, Yee said the new Berkeley Chancellor, Nicholas Dirk, should take a pay decrease like the new CSU Chancellor Timothy White.
“The Regents and Trustees treat dollars meant for students as a personal slush fund for already wealthy executives,” Yee said. “SB 8 will stop these egregious compensation practices and help restore the public trust.”