Ruskin Bill Fights Rising Costs of College Textbooks

SACRAMENTO – The Legislature passed Assemblymember Ira Ruskin’s bill to help reduce the cost of college textbooks for students and parents.  AB 2261 will create a pilot program to enable community college faculty statewide to take advantage of free online course materials, or “Open Education Resources,” which will dramatically reduce the cost of textbooks for many community college students.  It will be the second program of its kind in the nation.

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Ruskin’s Small Business Bill Passes Legislature

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Ira Ruskin’s AB 1942, that raises penalties for misrepresenting the involvement of small or disabled veteran owned businesses in state contracts, was passed by the Legislature with nearly unanimous support.  The bill is part of an ongoing investigation that Assemblymember Ruskin began in September of 2007 to examine certain state contracts which appeared to violate the spirit of the small business and disabled veteran owned business preferences.  Ruskin’s investigation inspired a similar investigation by the San Jose Mercury News and an audit by the Department of General Services.

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Ruskin’s Special Education Bill Signed Into Law

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Ira Ruskin’s AB 2226 regarding the burgeoning special education crisis in California has been signed by Governor Schwarzenegger.  AB 2226 addresses the significant shortage of credentialed special education teachers by streamlining the credentialing process for special education teachers to remove onerous and duplicative training.

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