GCC president testifies in support of April 24 billJune 27, 2019 - 10:36 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - SB 568, authored by California State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D–La Cañada Flintridge) passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee on Wednesday, June 26. Glendale Community College’s Superintendent and President David Viar flew to Sacramento to offer testimony in support of the bill. SB 568 would help the college offset revenue losses associated with closing on April 24. This date is important worldwide to the Armenian Community as it commemorates the Armenian Genocide. “When I was first approached by several GCC Board Members with this unfair situation, I promised that I would do my best to correct it. GCC should not be penalized by California for closing on April 24. It is my hope that SB 568 will pass the legislature, garner the Governor’s signature, and change state law to allow GCC the same flexibility that education code gives to the GUSD,” commented Senator Portantino. Senator Portantino, who has a long and positive relationship with the Armenian American Community and Glendale Community College, has participated in negotiations with the Chancellor’s Office for the last two years to solve this issue. SB 568 is the culmination of those discussions. Under current law, K-12 school districts like the GUSD have the ability to close and not lose funding. Community Colleges currently do not have the same flexibility causing GCC to a loss of an estimated $500,000 for closing on April 24. “As educators, we teach history to ensure tragedies like the Armenian Genocide never happen again. The value of our college being able to declare a Day of Remembrance is an important part of that education beyond the classroom. We appreciate Senator Portantino’ s leadership in designing a solution that allows our students to participate in remembering the past without loss of state funding to the college as our students pursue their educational goals,” added David Viar Superintendent/President of Glendale Community College. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. |