Posted on 09/08/2005 9:24:15 PM PDT by SmithL
SACRAMENTO - Nearing the end of their 2005 session, California legislators approved bills Thursday to allow illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses and to keep certain nutritional supplements out of the hands of student athletes.
Among the dozens of measures awaiting final votes were bills that would bar the sale or rental of extremely violent video games to minors, allow schools to use alternatives to the high school graduation exam and promote a massive expansion of solar energy use.
That bill, by Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City, would offer subsidies to home and business owners that install solar panels. It was tied up in negotiations between the governor and the speaker over amendments that would set wage standards for workers who install the systems on commercial structures and limit who could install the panels.
The driver's license bill, by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, was given final approval by the Senate on a 21-15 vote, sending it to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for a likely veto. The Assembly had approved it Wednesday night.
Under the measure, illegal immigrants would be allowed to get licenses that would have a different design or color than standard licenses and would not be widely recognized as valid identification documents.
Backers of the bill said it would bring California into compliance with federal identification regulations. They also say it would make roads safer by requiring immigrants, many of whom already are driving, to pass driving tests to get licenses.
"We must conform our laws to meet social realities," Cedillo said.
But Sen. Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, said the measure "sends a powerful message that it is the official policy of this state not to recognize or respect this nation's immigration laws."
Schwarzenegger, who rejected a similar bill last year, has signaled he will veto the measure.
Lawmakers were scheduled to adjourn for the year on Friday, but aides said they were attempting to finish Thursday evening.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS - A bill aimed at curbing high school athletes' use of nutritional supplements also got final approval in the Senate.
The bill, by Sen. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, prohibits student athletes from using ephedra, synephrine and DHEA - three substances that claim to build muscle and increase energy. Health experts question those claims and say the substances can be dangerous.
The bill also requires coaches to take a class on the risks of using anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing supplements.
Speier's bill does not ban common, over-the-counter supplements such as protein powders or creatine.
A 28-8 vote approved Assembly amendments to the bill, sending it to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who vetoed similar legislation last year while on the payroll of a magazine publisher that receives advertising revenue from the supplement industry.
The business relationship is now the subject of a state ethics probe. The governor has since ended his financial arrangement with the magazines.
VIOLENT VIDEOS - The Senate also approved a bill by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, that would bar the sale or rental of extremely violent video games to minors.
A 22-9 vote sent the measure back to the Assembly for a vote on Senate amendments.
The bill covers games that depict serious injuries to humans in a particularly heinous, atrocious or cruel manner. Merchants who violate the ban could be hit with a fine of up to $1,000.
Yee, who also is a child psychologist, said the games are "learning tools that have a dramatic impact on children."
REDSKINS: The Senate also approved, and sent to Schwarzenegger, a bill by Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, that would bar public schools from using Redskins as a name for their athletic teams.
Bill supporters said Redskins is a derogatory term for Indians. Five California high schools use the nickname.
"I couldn't imagine a team called the Beaners or a team called the Taco Vendors," said Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys, referring to negative references to Hispanics. "The term Redskins is just as derogatory as those terms."
But senators Jeff Denton, R-Salinas, and Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, said Indians in their districts don't object to use of the word.
"I've talked to many Native Americans," Denham said. "The term Redskins is something they are proud of."
Schwarzenegger vetoed a nearly identical bill last year.
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Associated Press Writer Kathleen Hennessey contributed to this report
Anxious for the next session to start, are ya? :-)
One day I'm expecting a bill where they will require some guy to tell me when I can ****.
"One day I'm expecting a bill where they will require some guy to tell me when I can ****."
Oh, so you found the legislative proposals of Greepeace and EarthFirst!... :-)
Sane people would be willing to pay them money not to pass anymore laws. Hey guys! We'll double your salary if you'll agree not to pass anymore legislation!
You want a laugh? Google "diaperless" It's not obscene, I just did it to check, but I won't be responsible for any keyboards.
Idiot Liberals=California legislators=Legal California Drivers Licenses for Al Queda terrorists!
If illegal aliens would stay the hell off of our roads, that would make our roads safer.
"We must conform our laws to meet social realities," Cedillo said.
Cedillo just wants to help his fellow Latinos, the illegal aliens. Cedillo is a Latino first and an American a distant second.
This is just a back door amnesty scam. A driver's license 'documents' them, so they can longer be considered "undocumented immigrants". It also legitimizes their means of entry in the U.S. It sends the message out to those sneaking into America under the radar of our immigration laws that they will be rewarded by our government for breaking the law.
As soon as Arnold vetoes this bill, One Bill Gil will bring it up again (for the fourth time), and we'll have to start fighting it all over again. We're having Mexico shoved down our throats.
What a shame that our own President is the main shover.
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