CA: A look at actions by the governor and Legislature on Thursday

- People who knowingly use the 911 emergency number for calls other than emergencies would be warned for the first two violations, fined $50 for a third violation, $100 for fourth violation and $200 for a fifth violation. AB911, by Assemblyman John Longville, D-Rialto.

- Budgets $55,000 to re-establish statewide network of visitor information centers known as California Welcome Centers. AB1356, by Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn, D-Saratoga.

- Courts could make perpetrators of spousal domestic violence pay a judgment of civil damages from their half of community property during dissolution of a marriage. AB2018, by Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park.

- Speeders convicted a second time of driving more than 100 miles per hour within three years of a first offense would be fined $750 and $1,000 for a third offense within five years. AB2237, by Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford.

- Adult siblings of a deceased person would gain power to dispose of the remains if the person designated to do so failed to act within seven days of the death. AB2811, by Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster.

- The state controller, with the state treasurer and director of finance would have to annually update a long-range plan to move state payment systems from paper to electronic. AB2738, by Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-San Rafael.

- Signature gatherers who willingly make misrepresentations or false statements concerning a state or local initiative, referendum or recall petitions would be subject to a misdemeanor violation and increased penalties. AB2917, by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills.

- Prevents the state from contracting with companies unless company professes that the jobs will be performed in the United States. AB1829, by Assemblywoman Carol Liu, D-La Canada Flintridge, passed the Assembly 41-31 and goes to the governor.

- Vaccines that contain mercury could not be injected into pregnant women and children under three, starting in July 2006, unless there is critical shortage of vaccines or a public health emergency. Some studies indicate the that mercury can contribute to increasing rates of autism. AB2943 by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, passed the Assembly 48-21 and goes to the governor.

- The state would identify Canadian pharmacies that meet recognized standards to safely handle and ship prescription drugs to California consumers. SB1149, by Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, passed the Assembly 41-31 and returns to the Senate for a vote on Assembly changes.

- The state Department of Health Services would have to set up a Web site to help Californians buy low-cost prescription drugs through Canadian pharmacies under a bill by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Los Angeles. The measure, AB1957, was approved 21-13 by the Senate and returned to the Assembly for a vote on Senate amendments.

- The state would have to reimburse some counties for costs of trials where they have been moved more than 60 miles to another county. The bill specifically would pay Stanislaus County for the Scott Peterson murder trial being held in San Mateo County. SB592, by Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Salinas, passed the Assembly 70-0 and goes to the governor. The Senate approved a similar bill, AB1075 by Assemblywoman Barbara Matthews, D-Tracy, and returned it to the Assembly for a vote on Senate amendments.

-Hybrid cars that get at least 45 miles per hour would be allowed to use the state's diamond lanes with only one occupant. AB2628, by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, passed the Assembly 41-28 and goes to the governor.

- Cellular telephone companies couldn't put a customer's number in a directory or sell the directory without the consent of the subscriber. AB1733, by Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes, D-Fresno, passed the Assembly 54-10 and goes to the governor.

-More than $20 million in state school bonds would be set aside for test projects allowing school districts to build smaller high schools - with no more than 500 students - or reconfiguring existing schools into smaller ones. AB1465 by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Alameda, passed the Assembly 45-26 and goes to the governor.

- Charter schools would not be able to expel students because of their academic performance, and would have to notify the local school district when a child is expelled or leaves the school without finishing the school year or graduating. AB1860, by Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes, passed the Assembly 43-27 and goes to the governor.

- The state would create a Cabinet-level Ocean Protection Council to coordinate state policy for protecting the Pacific Ocean. SB1319, by Sen. John Burton, D-San Francisco, passed the Senate 21-13 and goes to the governor.

- Fishing boats would have to give up bottom trawling in designated areas off the California coast. SB1459 by Sen. Dede Alpert, D-San Diego, passed the Senate 23-12 and goes to the governor.

- Local governments that suffered property tax losses because of last year's fires in Southern California, mudslides in San Bernardino County and the earthquake in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties would get state aid to make up for their losses under a bill by Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego. The measure, AB1510 passed the Assembly 70-0 and goes to the governor.

- The California Department of Transportation would have to use more recycled crumb rubber in the building of state highways. The bill calls for roads to be 35 percent crumb rubber by 2012. AB338, by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Sherman Oaks, passed the Assembly 48-17 and goes to the governor.

- People convicted of drug possession or use would be able to get food stamps under a bill approved by the Senate. Thirty-two other states have the provision. The measure, AB1796, by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, passed the Assembly 44-23 and goes to the governor.

- Rural property owners would be allowed to thin timber without the cost or delay of applying for a state permit. In an effort to make it easier to remove trees from fire-prone areas, the measure, AB 2420 from Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa R-Biggs, passed the Assembly 66-0 and goes to the governor.

- Property owners who donate land would be able to claim a 55 percent credit on income and corporation taxes when they donate land to the state, local governments or nonprofit organizations. The measure, AB2722 by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, was approved by the Senate 24-12 and returned to the Assembly for a vote on Senate amendments.

- Ferret owners could apply to the state Department of Fish and game for certificates of amnesty that would allow them to keep the animals as pets under a bill by Sen. Dede Alpert, D-San Diego. The measure, SB89, was sent to the governor by a 26-2 Senate vote that approved Assembly amendments.

- Farmers could not force feed ducks and other birds to enlarge their livers to produce the delicacy foie gras under legislation by Sen. John Burton, D-San Francisco. The measure, SB1520, was sent to the governor by a 21-12 Senate vote that approved Assembly amendments.

- Candidates could not borrow more than $100,000 from a bank or other lender to give to their campaigns under a bill by Sen. Ross Johnson, R-Irvine. The measure, SB1449, was sent to the governor by a 38-0 Senate vote that approved Assembly amendments.

- California's primary elections would move from early March to early June under another Johnson bill. A 33-0 Senate vote approved Assembly amendments and sent the bill, SB1730, to the governor.

- The state would get new powers to regulate grease haulers to try to prevent the dumping of grease in sewers. The bill, AB2633 by Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Los Angeles, was approved by the Senate 21-7, and returned to the Assembly for a vote on Senate amendments.

- Big-rig trucks entering California from Mexico would have to meet federal emission standards under AB1009, a bill by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills. It was approved by the Senate 27-9 and returned to the Assembly for a vote on Senate amendments.

- A state commission financed by private donations would make recommendations on how to respond to the deportation of people of Mexican descent between 1929 and 1944. A 24-7 Senate vote approved Assembly amendments and sent the bill, SB427 by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Garden Grove, to the governor.

- Hospitals would have to develop self-pay policies specifying how the hospital determines prices to be paid by self-pay patients and limit those prices for patients below certain income levels. The measure, AB232 by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Alameda, failed in the Senate on a 19-18 roll call, two votes short of the bare, 21-vote majority needed for approval.

- Hospitals would have to draft plans to control infections among their patients under legislation by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Daly City. A 22-12 vote approved Assembly amendments to the measure and sent it to the governor.

- Smoking would be banned on the sand at state beaches, unless local governments with jurisdiction over the beach objected, under a bill that was rejected for a second time by the Senate. The legislation, AB1583 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, went down to defeat on a 19-17 vote, two short of the bare 21-vote majority needed for approval.

- State prisons would ban use of tobacco by inmates and staffers as county jails do. AB384, by Assemblyman Tim Leslie, R-Tahoe City, passed the Assembly 62-4 and goes to the governor.

- The state prison system would be required to draft rehabilitation plans for each prisoner with a chance of being released under a bill by Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-Santa Clara. A 27-4 vote approved Assembly amendments and sent the proposal to the governor.

- Cities and counties could seek state reimbursement for law enforcement costs associated with the release of sexually violent predators into their communities. The bill, SB446 by Sen. Mike Machado, D-Linden, was sent to the governor by a 34-0 Senate vote that approved Assembly amendments.

- Plastic bags would have to meet standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials to carry the label compostable, degradable or biodegradable. The bill, SB1749 by Sen. Betty Karnette, D-Long Beach, was sent to the governor by a 23-12 Senate vote that approved Assembly amendments.

- Imitation firearms that look like the real thing could not be displayed in public under a bill by Sen. Joe Dunn, D-Garden Grove. The Senate voted 28-9 to approve the measure, SB1858, and send it to the governor.

Thanks for the info, will try to read more throughly in the morning!

2 posted on 08/26/2004 10:48:53 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)

More limitations on our life. Some good most bad. Too many laws. We need to make these people part time with compensatory salaries only. They would then have to work and communicate with real people in the real world.

4 posted on 08/26/2004 11:04:34 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)

SPEEDERS:

This one I agree with, bigtime...Too many narrow escapes on the I-15 between LA and Vegas... what a wild road...

5 posted on 08/26/2004 11:07:11 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (A Proud member of Free Republic ~~The New Face of the Fourth Estate since 1996.)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.