Assembly Candidate Says State Education Is 'Out of Whack'

Redistricting has placed Beverly Hills in the , which will also include West Hollywood, Malibu and Santa Monica. The election for the district's next representative takes place Nov. 6, 2012.

Betsy Butler, D-Marina del Rey, currently represents the 53rd Assembly District but is seeking the 50th district seat during next year's election. She is facing and Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom. 

Butler has only been in office since December, but she's already amassed a list of accomplishments. Over the past two months, Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law six bills introduced by Butler, including measures intended to encourage electric-vehicle usage and protect seniors from abuse.

Patch: Some Butler supporters have asked you to run instead in the new 66th District, which includes Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach and Rancho Palos Verdes. Why are you in the race for the 50th Assembly District instead?

Betsy Butler: The 66th is a more conservative part of Los Angeles, and it's become more conservative now that Rancho Palos Verdes and Palos Verdes Estates are integrated. I only got elected because of Venice and Marina del Rey. If you take [them] out, then my perspectives in the 66th are not what the voters want. I'm not going to run where [the voters'] beliefs are not my beliefs.

With the 50th, I've been very active on a lot of issues that are key to this area—equal rights for the LGBT community and women. I've been involved with the Democratic Party community; [sought] access for education to all. I've also thought outside the box and [fought for] green-industry investment.

Patch: What are California's top three priorities?

Butler: Jobs/economic security, education and transportation. 

Patch: What can be done to solve California's economic woes?

Butler: I believe this governor is going to be very pragmatic. We need to look at how we incarcerate people, how we educate people—these things are all intertwined. We need to look at really funding education and maybe an oil-extraction fee. 

Patch: What about cuts to community colleges?

Butler: Our tremendous education system is out of whack. If students can't get into the [University of California] system, they're going to go into the community college system. And if [prospective] employees can't get into community colleges, they can't be hired. We've got to restore education for all these different levels.

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