With Governor Schwarzenegger’s blessing, two bills to allow contracting out have been introduced again.  Republican Assemblyman John Benoit says the new measures contain amendments that protect the jobs of existing school employees.

Benoit says competitive bidding for school bus drivers, meal prep, landscaping, and janitorial services would free up three hundred million dollars a year for classroom use.   Dave Low, a lobbyist for the union of non-teaching school employees, says one private company is behind the effort.

Both Low and Assemblyman Benoit say contracting out of non-teaching jobs could easily hang up the state budget again this year.