Bill to Rein in Pay for UC, CSU Executives

Leland Yee, California state senator, in Nov. 2011. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

California State Senator Leland Yee introduced legislation that would set new rules limiting compensation for executives of the University of California and California State University.

Yee announced the bill after a controversy over the compensation package for incoming UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks.

“Despite calls from the Governor, UC and CSU continue to line the pockets of their top administrators,” Yee said, according to a press release. “SB 8 will stop these egregious compensation practices and help restore the public trust.”

Governor Jerry Brown protested the $50,000 in extra pay for Dirks in a recent telephone meeting of UC’s governing board of regents, the Sacramento Bee reported. Dirks will receive a salary of over $486,800 each year, plus a home, relocation assistance, and additional benefits.

A similar bill by Yee was vetoed by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2009. The bill would prohibit pay increases for executives at CU and CSU during years of rising student fees or budget constraints.

The state senate policy committee will consider it in early 2013.

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