Editing Gray Davis (section)

====Popular start and education====
In 1998, Davis was elected the Golden State's first Democratic governor in 16 years. ''The San Jose Mercury News'' called him "perhaps the best-trained governor-in-waiting California has ever produced."<ref name="Shining"/> In March 1999, Davis enjoyed a 58% approval rating and just 12% disapproval.<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1999/03/19/MN91497.DTL Voters Well Pleased With Governor's First 100 Days, Poll Finds 5-to-1 approval ratings put Davis on solid footing out of the gate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122231403/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F1999%2F03%2F19%2FMN91497.DTL |date=2009-01-22 }} by Marinucci, Carla. The San Francisco Chronicle. March 19, 1999. Retrieved September 7, 2007.</ref> His numbers peaked in February 2000 with 62% approval and 20% disapproval, coinciding with the peak of the [[Dot-com bubble|dot-com boom]] in California.<ref name="bright"/><ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/02/16/MN5454.DTL Record-High Job Ratings for California Politicians] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122234441/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2000%2F02%2F16%2FMN5454.DTL |date=2009-01-22 }} by Gledhill, Lynda. ''San Francisco Chronicle''. February 16, 2000. Retrieved September 7, 2007.</ref> Davis held his strong poll numbers into January 2001.

Davis's first official act as governor was to call a special session of the state legislature to address his plan for all California children to be able to read by age 9.

{{cquote|"I ran for governor because of my passion for education," Davis told CNN the Sunday night before the recall election on ''[[Larry King Live]]''.<ref name="Shining"/>}}

[[File:Gray Davis, portrait.jpg|thumb|Davis's official photo portrait as governor]]

Davis used California's growing budget surplus to increase education spending. He signed legislation that provided for a new statewide accountability program and for the Academic Performance Index and supported the high school exit exam.<ref name="End"/> He signed legislation that authorized the largest expansion of the Cal Grant program.<ref name="End"/> Under the Davis administration, California began recognizing students for outstanding academic achievement in math and sciences on the new [[Golden State Exams]]. Davis's Governors Scholarship program provided $1,000 scholarships to those students who scored in the top 1% in two subject areas on the state's annual statewide standardized test.

[[File:Gdavis.jpg|thumb|Official state portrait]]

Davis signed into law legislation that began the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program that guaranteed admission to a [[University of California]] institution to students that finished in the top 4% of their high school class.<ref name="First">[http://www.gray-davis.com/FirstInTheNation.aspx Davis Firsts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708235141/http://www.gray-davis.com/FirstInTheNation.aspx |date=2007-07-08 }}. Retrieved August 2007.</ref>{{better source needed|date=August 2021}} Public schools received $8 billion over the minimum required by [[California Proposition 98 (1988)|Proposition 98]] during Davis's first term. Davis increased spending on recruiting more and better-qualified teachers. He campaigned to lower the approval threshold for local school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent in a statewide proposition that passed. Davis earmarked $3 billion over four years for new textbooks and, between 1999 and 2004, increased state per-pupil spending from $5,756 to $6,922.<ref name="Dark">[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/10/13/MN124374.DTL Energy crisis leaves Davis record in dark] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123083459/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2002%2F10%2F13%2FMN124374.DTL |date=2009-01-23 }} by Lucas, Greg. [[The San Francisco Chronicle]]. October 13, 2002. News, pg A1. The Chronicle Publishing Company 2002. Retrieved July 23, 2007.</ref>

In 2001, Gov. Gray Davis signed Senate Bill 19, which establishes nutritional standards for food at elementary schools and bans the sale of carbonated beverages in elementary and middle schools.<ref name="Child">[http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/01/02_obesity.html San Diego conference tackles child obesity epidemic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609152815/http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/01/02_obesity.html |date=2007-06-09 }} by Yang, Sarah. January 2, 2003. Media Relations. University of California Berkeley Press Release. Copyright 2002 UC Regents.</ref>

Another early act of Davis's was the reversal of his predecessor Republican Governor Pete Wilson's alteration of California's eight-hour overtime pay rule for wage earners.