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CALIFORNIA SENATE PASSES BILL IN SUPPORT OF PAC-12 ATHLETES

By Carlos Sandoval

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Recently, UCLA football players signed a petition to help former football players finish school despite being cut from the school’s football team.

Though it’s not totally the same thing, a new piece of legislation passed by the California Senate would help out low-income and injured athletes to a further degree.

It’s about damn time. From the L.A. Times (via Reign of Troy):

"The state Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would require California’s Pac-12 Conference universities to provide additional financial and academic support for injured and low-income athletes.The legislation, called the Student-Athlete Bill of Rights by its sponsor, state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), was passed by a margin of 22-15. The bill will next be considered by the Assembly."

Of course, this new bill is a result of the Pac-12’s new TV contract, because Pac-12 schools can provide better measures to support its students. Any school that banks $10 million in media revenue (pretty much all California Pac-12 schools d0) are required to provide necessary support for these students. Of the support that they’re to provide, these are some of  the important ones specified in the LA Times piece (for a more comprehensive list, read that article):

  • Payment of healthcare insurance premiums for low-income athletes.
  • Payment for deductibles and co-payments for sports-related injuries.
  • Immediate approval of transfers, without restrictions or conditions.

All in all, good move, California politicians. You got something right, for chrissakes.

You’re obviously going to have the jerk-offs who would oppose this bill because of their idiotic political affiliation, but this is solid because athletes often depend on their scholarships to even go to school, and if they deserve to get their tuition paid, while not take care of all the little stuff that adds up, too? It only makes sense. This is especially true of UCLA’s athletes, considering that those who go to a public school are likelier to be low-income students as opposed to, say, a private school.

The California Assembly will vote on the bill next, and if they’re smart, they’ll pass it, too.

GO BRUINS!!!