It's the last day of the legislative session, when lawmakers do the equivalent of a college student's cramming at the close of a semester. Of course, in Sacramento there's an additional challenge: lobbyists laying siege to the Legislature to make sure their clients' interests, if not the public's, are well served.

Spilling over into this final day are a few especially important bills that are vulnerable to special interests. One is SB 1285, which would protect schools in low-income and minority neighborhoods from losing an unfair proportion of teachers when layoffs hit. The California Teachers Association, which holds particular sway in the Assembly, is intent on killing it.

Assembly leaders gutted the bill earlier this month, making it essentially an advisory measure. Before passing it, the Assembly rules committee must reinsert the language requiring parity. It should then be passed by the Senate