Proposition 1D Approved By Voters – Higher Education to Benefit from This Win!

With an uncertain outlook given expectations about voter turnout as well as the polling data right up to the last day of the campaign, CSU and the rest of education can celebrate the approval of Proposition 1D, the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2006. The voters approved this general obligation bond by 56.6% providing the needed investments in our classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and all our campus infrastructure.

The proposition’s proponents and many schools and colleges statewide worked diligently to get the word out on the impact this bond would have and were successful in this message. In addition, this election did benefit from a higher than expected voter turnout which many viewed helped pass all of the bonds that appeared on the ballot.

Almost all of California’s coastal counties, southern counties and Fresno and Alpine counties voted in support of the education bond. Orange County was the sole coastal county where the education bond failed to obtain voters approval (by 52 percent of the vote.) In total 28 counties approved Proposition 1D as compared to 20 when the voters approved Proposition 55 in 2004.

The CSU along with all of its auxiliaries is to be commended in playing a large role in helping to get the word out on the impact this bond will have. With the passage of this measure by the voters CSU will be directly impacted by receiving $690 million over a two year period to help with campus improvements and retrofitting of old and outdated facilities.

In the weeks leading up to the election, the campaign for “Yes on 1D” began rolling out an aggressive public relations campaign with a radio ad and two television ads running statewide in an effort to identify this issues with the voters early and often. Additionally, the campaign hit every major media market throughout the state either hosting press events or meeting with papers’ editorial boards to get the word out on the benefits to schools both K-12 and public colleges this bond will have.

For further information on the passage of Proposition 1D and for a county by county breakdown of the vote please visit the Secretary of State’s website.