Posted on 08/06/2006 11:56:00 AM PDT by calcowgirl
SACRAMENTO – Returning to the Capitol tomorrow after a long holiday, lawmakers will embark on a final binge that could produce a rash of new laws telling Californians to hang up and drive, free Fido and pay bottom-rung workers at least another $1 an hour.
The Legislature must adjourn its two-year session by midnight Aug. 31. That will bring mounting pressure to move swiftly on hundreds of pending bills, ranging from proposals that require children as old as 8 to ride in a child car seat to a multibillion-dollar prison expansion plan.
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There's also the usual assortment of head-scratchers. One bill drawing a lot of attention – and ridicule – calls for declaring zinfandel the state's “historic” wine. Another measure would permit the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to use the snappier “Cal-Fire” on paperwork and uniforms.
Hoping to build on significant accomplishments earlier this year, Democratic and Republican leaders are using words like “upbeat” and “optimistic” to describe the atmosphere as they head down the stretch. But that good will could evaporate once bills resurface to address driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, global warming, prison reform, tax issues and how gays should be portrayed in history.
Lawmakers also will be casting votes with one eye on an approaching election, wary of gambits that could cost them support in the few tight races statewide. It's potentially trickier for Democrats, who want to go before voters armed with a record of accomplishment but know that Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could pull out the same list on the campaign trail.
Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata, D-Oakland, insisted that the gubernatorial race is secondary as he maps strategy to move high-profile bills.
“I wasn't elected here to be a stalking-horse for one governor or another governor. My job is to get the work done the people need done,” said Perata, who helped forge some big bipartisan agreements before lawmakers went on their summer break.
Senate Republican leader Richard Ackerman of Tustin said the looming election may encourage lawmakers to play it safe.
“You're not going to see people bringing up things too far out one way or the other,” Ackerman said.
Nevertheless, there are many ambitious and contentious proposals in the lineup of pending legislation, including Democrat-rallying bills to raise the minimum wage and expand health care coverage.
The ritualistic marathon leading into the fall campaign season will include the most heavily lobbied measure of the session: a proposal to make it easier for telephone giants to invade the cable television market, with the promise of delivering more choice and lower prices. The measure has bipartisan support, and the only influential interests putting up a fight are local governments, which fear they will lose free access to public-service channels.
“Competition is healthy,” said Assembly Republican leader George Plescia of San Diego, a co-author of the cable bill, AB 2987.
No session over the past few years has been gaveled closed without bitter clashes over granting illegal immigrants the ability to obtain driver's licenses. This year appears to be no exception, and the outcome appears destined to be another veto by the governor.
Perata, who supports SB 1160, suggested it may be wiser to avoid handing more fodder to conservatives, particularly in the charged atmosphere swirling around illegal immigration this year.
“Of all the issues we could stumble through between now and the election, there are probably other ones that will (yield) a better product. . . . This one has largely gone into pure rhetoric,” Perata said.
Sen. Gil Cedillo, the Los Angeles Democrat carrying the license bill, said the timing is perfect, comparing it to measures protecting civil rights passed at the height of tensions in the 1960s.
Californians' connection between their cars and cell phones is a target of legislation that would bar drivers from using handheld phones behind the wheel. The governor has signaled his support for the bill, AB 1613.
Speaking more as a father of a teenage daughter, Schwarzenegger said, “If I ever catch her making a phone call while driving . . . if she makes that mistake, then I will take the car away from her and she will drive with the bus, because it's inexcusable.”
With recent coast-to-coast scorchers in mind, lawmakers will look to capitalize on widespread public concern to pass unprecedented legislation to curb global warming. The measure, AB 32, represents the most significant break between traditional business interests like the Chamber of Commerce and Schwarzenegger, who supports the goal of the bill to require industry to gradually reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Although Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders ended up arm in arm over the state budget a few weeks ago and on a massive bond package they put on the November ballot, lingering spending issues will test that congeniality.
Sharply criticized by watchdogs, the governor is drawing up plans to ease overcrowding and improve health care conditions in prisons.
The administration's proposal to build new lockups and finance other reforms could cost taxpayers $6 billion, a price Democrats say they are not willing to pay.
“Our prisons are at the crisis point,” Schwarzenegger declared.
Plescia said lawmakers must act, or a federal receiver will continue to force changes independently.
The receiver, Robert Sillen, wants the state to build new prison hospitals, not general-purpose facilities, to ease crowding. “He feels he has an open checkbook,” Plescia said.
The governor also hasn't abandoned his effort to set aside $23 million to help 18 counties expand health care services to 24,000 children, many of whom are illegal immigrants or the children of illegal immigrants. The proposal temporarily stalled a state budget compromise.
Republicans are vehemently opposed, saying providing services rewards illegal immigrants.
“We should not politicize the children and drag them into this,” Schwarzenegger said as lawmakers were moving to table the plan.
Democrats are weighing broader issues, such as taxes on oil company profits, universal health care, affordable prescription drugs and further workers' compensation reforms to benefit people injured on the job.
Potentially contentious new gambling agreements with Indian tribes are expected to emerge at some point in the process. The agreements, or compacts, must be ratified by the Legislature.
Senate Republicans may introduce legislation to finance new reservoirs and power plantsafter the record heat wave that tortured California.
“Energy and water are two big issues that haven't been addressed,” Ackerman said.
Some notable bills awaiting action:
Chained dogs: SB 1578 would limit the time an animal can be restrained to a stationary object, such as a tree or a post, to three hours a day. Dogs could be tethered longer while at campgrounds. Supporters say chained dogs become more vicious and don't deserve to be restrained in that fashion for long periods.
Children in cars: AB 2108 would expand passenger safety rules to require children under 8 to ride in the back seat in a booster or safety seat, unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. Current law requires children to be in booster or car seats until age 6.
Minimum wage: SB 1162 and AB 1835 would add a dollar to the $6.75-per-hour minimum wage and provide automatic, inflation-driven boosts in base wages. Schwarzenegger favors a one-time increase, but opposes indexing wages to inflation. Perata, the leading Democrat in the Senate, has offered to abandon indexing if the governor would increase his offer to $1.50 per hour, which would push the minimum wage to $8.25.
Gays in textbooks: SB 1437 would require California's social-science textbooks to include the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people to the state's and nation's history.
Prescription drugs: AB 2911 would establish a discount-drug program that would use manufacturer rebates and pharmacy discounts to lower prices.
Los Angeles schools: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is behind AB 1381, which would wrest some powers from the Los Angeles Unified School District board of trustees.
How many of those bills have anything to do with what the gubmint is supposed to do - respect and follow the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and to PROTECT OUR BORDERS AND SHORELINES? Zero?!!!!!
Gays in textbooks: SB 1437 would require California's social-science textbooks to include the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people to the state's and nation's history.
They are already included if they were historically significant.
Who cares about thier sex lives?
That's true! If they accomplished something they are already noted. But now, their sex life is something of importance for some reason. So, each time a heterosexual accomplishes something, will that be noted also? For instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger is elected Governor, and he is a heterosexual. Or, Tom McClintock, a heterosexual, is running for the office of Lt. Governor in California.
I think the law goes further than just making note of otherwise worthy historical figures.
This is from a few months back, quoting the bill's author (Kuehl):
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/atoz/article_1127886.php
SACRAMENTO – Someday soon, school textbooks in California could be required to include a reference to someone like Bayard Rustin. Never heard of him? He was a colleague of Martin Luther King, Jr., a low-profile organizer largely forgotten for his behind-the-scenes role in the civil rights movement.
But under a bill by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, which passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, Rustin would be of particular educational value because he was also gay.
"If that’s not social engineering," said committee member Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, "then I don't know what is."
"I'm sure Dr. King would agree with you," Kuehl retorted, "and would be in favor of social engineering."
I'm not so sure, Ms. Kuehl.
The black Baptists I know aren't thrilled about being lumped in with the gay rights movement. I have a hunch the Rev King might even surprise you with a "go and sin no more".
The educational system in California is becoming more and more of an indoctrination as opposed to an educational system.
I hope Gov S. vetos this bill. If not, then I'm really really really glad my son is on track for private school this fall.
Maybe we should do just that until it becomes such a screaming absurdity that it breaks down on its own.
Yes, let the heterosexuals demand that each time they accomplish something their sexual orientation must be noted! We need to list sexual orientation on the CDL....and it should be placed in in every newspaper article....and on your voter registration...and on your contractor's liscense, and so on and so on.
Can you imagine the voting rolls in the state Senate? Maybe we should replace party with sexual preference!
John Smith (heterosexual) Yes
Meg Brown (heterosexual) Yes
Sally Simpkins (undecided) ??
LOL - exactly! It is in the spirit of the "loyalty oaths" in the book "Catch-22." Before long, people had to sign an oath to get served at chow, or to make an appointment. The whole thing simply broke down.
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