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California Commentary

Assembly Bill 84 is an assault on taxpayers and students

By Jon Coupal

California taxpayers and parents should be alarmed. A deeply flawed bill, Assembly Bill 84, is moving through the Legislature -- expanding bureaucracy, draining public resources, and punishing public charter schools that are offering families educational alternatives they want and need. While Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi insists that this bill is about "accountability" and "transparency," in reality, it's a dangerous power grab wrapped in feel-good language.

At the heart of AB 84 is the creation of a new Office of the Inspector General, a state-level oversight agency with sweeping authority to audit and investigate California's charter schools. This office, appointed by the Governor and operating outside of existing accountability systems, would wield unprecedented power over schools that are already subject to layers of financial review, academic reporting, and independent audits. What's more, there are no checks in place to prevent this office from targeting schools for political or ideological reasons.

The bill's proponents claim this new bureaucracy is necessary to prevent fraud, citing a few isolated scandals -- such as the A3 charter case from 2019. But that's a ruse to cover the author's real motivation on behalf of the most powerful labor organization in California. Besides, the state already has robust systems to detect and punish fraud, and those bad actors have been prosecuted. The state's own Legislative Analyst's Office and the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) offered focused, practical oversight reforms. AB 84 goes far beyond those, creating a bloated enforcement regime without any evidence of need.

The real victims of this bill are California students, families, and taxpayers. Take, for example, a school like Learn4Life Learning Center, a non-classroom-based public charter school that helps thousands of students each year, many of whom are at risk of dropping out. Learn4Life specializes in personalized, flexible learning for students who don't thrive in traditional school settings, including foster youth, teen parents, and those needing credit recovery. These students receive one-on-one support, career readiness programs, and a second chance at success. Learn4Life's model works precisely because it is nimble, responsive, and able to redirect limited public funding where students need it most. AB 84 threatens to choke this model with red tape and overhead, making it harder for schools like Learn4Life to fulfill their mission.

That's not all. AB 84 would continue oversight fees that authorizers can charge charter schools. That's money directly pulled from classrooms, teachers, and student programs. At a time when schools are already struggling to retain staff and meet student needs, this bill ensures that even more resources are rerouted from education to bureaucracy.

And for taxpayers? The bill is a blank check. Establishing and staffing the Office of the Inspector General could cost tens of millions of dollars. There is no plan to cap expenses, measure effectiveness, or prevent waste. If Muratsuchi's goal is to "protect taxpayer dollars," why is he proposing to spend millions more on duplicative bureaucracy?

The truth is this: AB 84 isn't about fighting fraud -- it's about fighting school choice. Charter schools are successful precisely because they operate with flexibility, innovation, and community engagement. This bill erodes that autonomy and punishes the very schools that are giving families better options.

Lawmakers who care about fiscal responsibility and educational freedom should vote no. California taxpayers deserve transparency, especially when it comes to wasteful, unaccountable expansions of government like AB 84.

Jon Coupal is the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

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Jon Coupal is the President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. He is a recognized expert in California fiscal affairs and has argued numerous tax cases before the courts.

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