A late-airing ad criticizing Assemblyman Mark Leno for cutting school funding has drawn the ire of the state's largest teachers union.
Leno is locked in a contentious three-way bout for the state Senate against incumbent Sen. Carole Migden and former Assemblyman Joe Nation.
The new ad, which a newly formed "independent expenditure" committee called Protect Our Kids paid $45,000 to air, said in 2004 Leno "joined Republicans... (to) cut $3.1 billion from California schools."
That committee has received funds from the San Francisco Police Officers Association and another committee funded largely by PG&E.
The vote reference in the ad is to the 2004 budget deal -- signed off on by the teachers union -- to temporarily cut school funding.
The California Teachers Association, which has endorsed Leno, hastily scheduled a news conference for this afternoon attacking the attack ad.
"Mark Leno is a strong friend of our public school teachers and students," said CTA President David Sanchez in a statement. "He has never failed to stand up for our schools, and he has always fought for educators and students at the local and state levels."
Here's from transcript, according to the CTA:
San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno Claims that he's for better schools.
Yet in 2004, it was Leno who joined Republicans, and with one vote to spare, cut $3.1 billion from California schools.
San Francisco and the North Bay lost $75 million in school funding.
Leno's explanation: "Cutting the schools' money was the best deal we could get and I didn't lose my committee chairmanship."
Mark Leno: Not exactly a profile in courage.
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