Senator pushes bill for public access to CSU salaries

After top executives of the California State University system received another salary hike last month, some are urging greater public access and transparency to decisions involving their wages. On Tuesday the Senate Judiciary Committee passed bill 190, which was introduced by State Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco.

Growing executive salaries and retirement packages have remained a trend in recent years despite continual student fee increases. Since 2002, the price of attending a CSU has increased 94 percent while CSU executives experienced a 23 percent salary increase during the same amount of time.

The overall goal of Yee’s bill is to create accountability for the boards and committees overseeing wages and fee increases. The bill states any voting or action taken in the realm of executive compensation will take place in a public forum.

With more access to information and meetings, the public can have a greater influence over committee decisions.

“We need to make sure that there is transparency to these issues and the public can see where the money is going,” said Adam Keigwin, communication director for Yee.

If the bill fails to pass at the higher levels, most of these meetings and advisory committees will continue to occur behind closed doors with limited time for public comment. The bill ultimately needs the governor’s approval before going into effect.

Senate bill 190 cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 8-0 one week after it was also unanimously passed 4-0 by the Senate Education Committee. Yee and his team hope to have the bill on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s desk by early summer.

“Passing the Senate Judiciary Committee is a major step to getting to the final stages,” said CSU chancellor spokesman Paul Browning.

Recent executive salary increases have led to public speculation in the past; however, the public will also be entitled to more information regarding executive compensation packages if the bill is approved.

“The CSU system is committed, conducting itself with the utmost transparency and levels of accountability,” Browning said. “We already comply with most provisions in the bill. We do not oppose it but we are in connection with Senator Yee’s office to remedy any duplication between the bill and California opening meeting laws.”

President Baker enjoyed a 4 percent salary boost of $11,500 in January of this year along with the rest of the CSU presidents, putting his $298,372 salary second in the CSU system only to the chancellor.

Salary increases are not the only benefits rewarded to top officials, last month CSU Board of Trustees passed a $103,000 retirement payout to CSU Dominguez President James Lyons.

“Over the years, exorbitant packages for executives have been passed repeatedly and it is the student tax dollars that are funding these packages and high-level salaries,” Keigwin said.

On March 17 the UC Board of Regents approved a 7 percent fee raise for its students while simultaneously passing a 13.8 percent salary increase and $38,000 stipend for their Executive Vice President Bruce Darling.

“Students need to speak out at these meetings. These are your buildings, kick the doors in, no one can stop a student from participating in the system,” Keigwin said. “You can write letters to the editor at your school and local paper about the bill and let people know.”