Brown’s plan to give struggling school districts like LAUSD, which have higher numbers of low-income and English language learner students, higher funding than more successful districts, has divided Democrats in the California legislature. Listen here:

But the still-unresolved contest between incumbent Betsy Butler and challenger Richard Bloom for California State Assembly District 50 may be one of the only situations in which the state Democratic Party not only endorsed the incumbent Democrat but also funded a negative campaign against a Democratic challenger.

“As far as I know, the negative attacks against non-endorsed Democrats didn’t happen beyond the Bloom-Butler race,” says FireDogLake writer David Dayen, who has been carefully following these races.

Depending on the outcome of the final tally, the negative attacks may have been for naught.  Dayen notes that “the distinguishing feature of these Dem-on-Dem races is that the endorsed candidate, for the most part, lost.”

As we reported yesterday, the Butler effort received $360,000 in late-breaking support from a groups associated with labor unions. (See Teachers Union Help Not Enough?). Part of this support came in the form of flyers criticizing Bloom:

Even more notable, however, is the presence of flyers criticizing Bloom published and distributed by the state Democratic Party:

The LA Weekly‘s Patrick Range McDonald noted the flyers from the state Democratic Party and observed that “such heavy investment in Butler in the last weeks of the campaign season suggests that the Democratic machine is extremely concerned that underdog Bloom may actually win.” (Campaign Mailers Slam and Tout Richard Bloom and Betsy Butler)

Bloom’s campaign also received outside support, including contributions from a physician’s group and an agriculture group, and was also the beneficiary of negative campaign flyers against Butler:

As of this morning, Neither candidate was prepared to declare victory, according to this Santa Monica Mirror article (Bloom Holds Narrow Lead In 50th Assembly Race). Butler dominated in West Hollywood, according to this LA Weekly story (Who Voted For Betsy Butler and Richard Bloom?), while Bloom did well in Santa Monica, Agoura Hills, and Beverly Hills.

The state Democratic party’s “biggest funder” is the teachers union, noted one reform-minded Democratic observer who did not want to be named — adding that the LA County Democratic party is housed inside UTLA headquarters.

The state Democratic Party was not available to respond to requests for information late on Friday afternoon.

Previous posts:  Bloom Criticizes Butler, Lawmakers Won’t Comment On Sex Abuse Vote

CA Governor Jerry Brown

Last week, Governor Jerry Brown signed no less than 14 education bills, according to his website.

They included a law that re-works how principals are evaluated, and one that makes it harder to expel a student.

He also vetoed two bills.  Below the break is the full list.

SB 1070: Extends an existing technical education program at middle schools, high schools and community colleges until 2015.

SB 1292: Authorizes school districts to assess the performance of school principals and establishes provision to guide that evaluation process.

AB 1663: Requests the Regents of the University of California to set a tuition fee for the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science program.

AB 2367: Allows schools to sell produce from their school gardens as long as existing health and safety requirements are met.

AB 2279: Authorizes the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to remove a state-appointed trustee from a school district that received an emergency loan after three years, provided the district has adequate fiscal systems in place and the Superintendent determines the district’s future compliance with its fiscal plan is probable.

AB 1521: Allows English speaking pupils enrolled in a dual immersion program to take the primary language assessment.

AB 2193: by Assembly member Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) – Long-term English learners. Creates standard definitions of “long-term English learner” and “English learners at risk of becoming long-term English learners,” to properly identify these students so they receive appropriate assistance.

SB 1108: Requires the California Department of Education to analyze the way school districts reclassify English learners and recommend to the Legislature and state board any changes necessary to improve education in California.

AB 2616: Provides school administrators with more discretion when determining if students are truant and in imposing consequences for truant students to focus truancy reduction efforts away from law enforcement and courts.

AB 1668: Expands the current definition of a “dropout recovery high school” to help better identify the schools that enroll pupils who have not been enrolled for at least 180 days.

AB 2171: Allows California Community College districts to require student applicants to disclose any prior expulsion from another community college and allows denial of admission for specified serious or violent offenses.

AB 1729: Clarifies existing law to only allow suspension or expulsion of a student only after other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct.

AB 2537: Clarifies that possessing an imitation firearm, over-the-counter medicine or student’s prescription medicines are not “zero tolerance” offences that automatically require expulsion. Eliminates an existing $500 fine imposed on a principal who fail to notify law enforcement of certain crimes allegedly committed by students.

AB 2497: Requires the Legislative Analyst’s Office to report information measuring the effect of the California State University’s Early Start Program on mathematics and English proficiency.

Brown also vetoed two education bills:

AB 1853: Recognition of study in transitional kindergarten. A veto message can be found here.

AB 2242: Pupils: grounds for suspension and expulsion. A veto message can be found here.