The Senate Budget Committee unanimously passed Assembly Bill 86, a measure to provide $6.6 billion to schools to open in-person instructions. Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Tehama), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget & Fiscal Review Committee, issued the following statements:

“The divide between the haves and the have not’s has widened for the next generation of children.

“For the past year, students in public schools have been in Zoom School, where teachers cannot assess student’s progress.

“Learning loss is unknown.

“Mental health among children is alarming and increasing.

“It is important to get schools to open. Students can no longer afford to continue to stare blankly at computer screens. They need to be with their teachers, their peers. Their health depends on it.”