BA at California Community Colleges?

Recently the LA Times reported that there are proposals for community colleges to offer limited BA degrees.  It states:

California's community college system is considering a controversial effort to offer four-year degrees, a move designed to boost the number of students who graduate and are more prepared for the workforce.
The change would require legislation authorizing junior colleges to grant baccalaureate degrees. Colleges would also need to seek additional accreditation as baccalaureate-granting institutions. Supporters argue that it would help to address shortages in workforce training and benefit students in rural areas without access to a four-year university.

 Opinions vary widely.  The Hanford Sentinel seems for the idea.   They state:

Maybe it’s been just an ego thing or a matter of turf, but administrators and some alumni groups at the University of California and the California State University systems for years have adamantly opposed the notion of community colleges granting anything more than two-year associate of arts degrees.
But this idea is making more sense than ever, especially amid continuing cutbacks at many existing four-year schools. It’s also an idea that’s allowed in more than 20 other states.

Others like the LA Daily News does not like this idea.  They state:

They also would be a clear example of what other educators are calling a potentially dangerous “mission creep” that could further undermine the still-excellent framework of the master plan. Upper-division courses should stay where they are. The more responsible course of action is to reform and expand opportunities for bachelor’s degrees at the current universities, and to support the community colleges at what they do best: vocational training and transferring.