Cal State system says it can’t afford a staff wage hike even if Newsom approves it

A LAST-MINUTE bill that sailed through the Legislature may leave Cal State University on the hook for nearly $900 million in new costs over the next decade — possibly forcing it to raise tuition for only the second time in more than a decade.

That “may” assumes lawmakers allot no new increases in university funding. Gov. Gavin Newsom has actually proposed giving the system more than a billion dollars in extra state support through spring of 2027, but there’s no guarantee that will happen. What would be guaranteed by this bill is the extra expense.