SACRAMENTO - Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, of Tulare, today issued the following statement in response to the Legislature's action on Senate Bill 81, a bill that protects budget funding for school transportation in rural communities. The State Assembly just passed the measure and it is expected to be taken up later today in the Senate.

"Today, the Assembly took action to protect critical dollars relied upon by rural school districts to provide school bus service, while making necessary budget savings in a more equitable way. Now that the Legislature has acted, it is vital that the Governor sign this important school funding equity measure without delay.

"Parents in rural communities like those that I represent faced the nightmare prospect of not being able to send their kids to school because Democrats decided to settle a political score. It is disappointing that the majority party chose to put partisan politics ahead of what's best for our schools. Our children deserve better, which is why last year our caucus put forward a budget roadmap which protected education and public safety funding. This year, Assembly Republicans will continue to fight hard to make students an important budget priority, while protecting the hard-working taxpayers we represent."

Helping to keep Californians informed about how their tax dollars are spent, Assembly Republicans last month launched "California Budget Fact Check," an interactive website dedicated to providing key budget facts.