IIRC public college was free in California when I was a lad.
In 1964 I paid $90/semester (not semester hour) at UCSB in “incidental fees”. Tuition was free. State colleges were cheaper, and city/community college was cheaper still. Yes, you remember correctly. California taxes weren’t outrageous then, so how did the state afford it a half century ago? What are Californians paying for now that they weren’t paying for then?