Volume 3, Issue 3, (February 14, 2000)
In This Issue:
Legislature to Celebrate California's 150th Anniversary in Benicia
Senate Creates Committee to Focus on Mentally Ill
Vehicle Fee Refund Measure Clears Assembly Committee
Bill to Establish Elder Abuse Hotline Passes Assembly
Assembly Approves Bill Penalizing Failure to Report Child Abuse
Senate Approves Bill Turning Oil Rigs to Reefs
Bill to Overturn Rate Increase for “411” Calls Introduced
Housing Developments Must Identify Water Sources Under Proposed Bill
Measure to Require Coverage of Bone Marrow Tests Passes Assembly
Cesar Chavez Holiday Debate Moves to Assembly
Employees Liable for Harassment of Others at Workplace under Proposed Legislation
Internet Privacy Bill Introduced
Assembly Speaker Introduces Senior Center Bond Bill
Use of Disabled Parking Placard Targeted
Racial Profiling Bill Reintroduced
Legislature to Celebrate California's 150th Anniversary in Benicia
The California State Legislature will honor the state's 150th anniversary of joining the Union by returning to the state's original State Capitol Building in Benicia, California. Both houses of the Legislature will hold session in the Benicia State Capitol Building on Wednesday, February 16th.
Assembly Selects Next Speaker
The state Assembly has voted to elect Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) the next Speaker of the Assembly. Hertzberg, who was elected with rare, full bipartisan support, will step in as Speaker in April of this year. It is the first time in 50 years that a new speaker has been elected without dissention.
Current Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) cannot run for reelection this fall due to term limits. Villaraigosa has announced he will run for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2001.
Senate Creates Committee to Focus on Mentally Ill
The state Senate has created a special committee to begin an overhaul of the state's treatment of the mentally ill. The Joint Select Committee on Mental Health Reform has been created as a ten-member panel consisting of Senate and Assembly lawmakers. The panel will be charged with providing a report to the Legislature by May 1st on how to improve accessibility to mental health care in California.
The Committee was established by Senate President Pro Tempore John Burton (D-San Francisco).
Vehicle Fee Refund Measure Clears Assembly Committee
The Assembly Transportation Committee has approved Senate Bill 215 by Senator Betty Karnette (D-Long Beach) to appropriate $665 million to refund smog impact fees the state illegally charged motorists who brought in cars from out of state in the early 1990's. The bill, which was approved on a 19 to 0 vote, implements a court decision that declared the fee unconstitutional. Approximately 1.7 million motorists have paid the smog impact fees since November of 1990.
Bill to Establish Elder Abuse Hotline Passes Assembly
Assembly Bill 629 by Assemblyman Ed Vincent (D-Inglewood) has been approved by the Assembly to establish a toll-free hotline for Californians to report suspected elder abuse.
Under the provisions of the bill, the state Department of Social Services (DSS) would be required to establish, maintain, and publicize a toll-free telephone number for reports of suspected abuse of elders and dependent adults.
The measure was unanimously approved on an 80 to 0 vote. The measure moves to the Senate for consideration.
Assembly Approves Bill Penalizing Failure to Report Child Abuse
The state Assembly has approved a measure that would impose criminal penalties on people who witness the sexual or physical abuse of a child under the age of 14 and fail to report the abuse to the authorities. Failure to report child abuse could bring a six-month jail sentence.
Assembly Bill 1422 by Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Martinez) was approved on a 69 to 0 vote and sent to the state Senate for consideration. Torlakson introduced the bill following the killing of seven year-old Sherrice Iverson in a Nevada casino restroom. A friend of the child's murderer was aware of the assault but did not attempt to intervene, or to report the assault to law enforcement or the casino.
Senate Approves Bill Turning Oil Rigs to Reefs
The Senate vote 21 to 8 to approve Senate Bill 241 by Senator Dede Alpert (D-San Diego) to allow offshore oil rigs to remain in the state waters and serve as artificial reefs for fish and marine life.
When oil ceases to produce at a rig, oil companies would be allowed to contribute to a new environmental fund rather than completely remove the rigs, generating as much as $500 million for environmental purposes. Drillers would be allowed to leave the bottom parts of the rigs in place.
Funds collected under the bill would be placed in a California Endowment for Marine Preservation and would be used for projects to protect, restore or enhance marine resources.
SB 241 goes to the state Assembly for consideration.
Bill to Overturn Rate Increase for “411” Calls Introduced
Assemblyman Wally Knox (D-Los Angeles) has introduced legislation that would overturn a recent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) decision which granted Pacific Bell a rate increase for directory assistance, or “411” calls in California. The decision allowed Pacific Bell to increase their rates per call from 25 cents per call to 46 cents per call, and it also reduced the number of free “411” calls for residential customers from five calls to three calls, and eliminated entirely any free calls for business customers.
Opponents to the rate increase argue that the rate increase request was based upon old data that did not reflect increased use of technology and a significantly reduced number of employees. More than 42,000 consumers contacted the PUC to protest the rate increase.
Knox's bill, Assembly Bill 1842, will be a pressure point as the PUC considers an appeal by consumers groups against the November decision. AB 1842 may be heard no earlier than March 7.
Housing Developments Must Identify Water Sources Under Proposed Bill
Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl has rekindled a debate over water in California with the passage of her Assembly Bill 1219, which would require developers of major housing subdivisions to identify an adequate source of water for the development prior to receiving final approval by a city or county.
The measure was approved on a 51 to 21 vote and will be heard next in the Senate Agriculture and Water Resources Committee.
Measure to Require Coverage of Bone Marrow Tests Passes Assembly
The Assembly has approved legislation that would, according to the bill's author, increase the number of bone marrow donors. Assembly Bill 536 by Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes (D-Fresno) would require health insurers to cover the cost of testing clients who wish to participate in the federal National Marrow Donor Program. AB 536 was approved on a 42 to 22 vote.
The measure was approved with bi-partisan support, although Assembly Republicans revealed an alternative plan the same day AB 536 was considered by the full Assembly. The Republicans' plan would provide a $100 tax credit for any person who takes a $98 bone marrow test. Proponents of that plan argue that such a plan would encourage all Californians to participate, not just those participating in HMO plans. Further, they argue the burden of a policy encouraging participants in a bone marrow registry program should be placed on the government, not on private business.
AB 536 will be heard next in the Senate Health Committee.
Cesar Chavez Holiday Debate Moves to Assembly
The Senate has approved legislation to mark March 31st as an official state holiday in honor of Cesar Chavez, the late co-founder of the United Farm Workers. The date is currently a state-recognized day that honors Chavez, and employees of the state may use vacation time to take the day off to celebrate Chavez' work.
Senate Bill 984, authored by Senator Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), which would create the state-paid holiday, was approved by the Senate on a 23 to 0 vote. The bill moves to the Assembly for consideration.
The cost of a paid-state holiday is estimated at $50 million for K-12 costs alone, and tens of millions of dollars for employees of various state agencies. Opponents argue that amount would be better spent on farm worker housing and other programs that benefit farm workers.
Measure would Extend Education Benefits to Widows/Widowers of Public Safety Personnel Killed in the Line of Duty
Legislation has been introduced to provide free tuition to the University of California and the California State University to the wives or husbands of fallen public safety personnel, such as police or firefighters, who are killed in the line of duty. Currently, only the children of those killed in the line of duty are provided the benefit of free tuition to California universities.
Assembly Bill 1850 was introduced by Assemblyman Lou Correa (D-Anaheim) to provide the benefits to widows/widowers. The bill may be heard in March.
Employees Liable for Their Harassment of Others at Workplace under Proposed Legislation
Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) has introduced legislation that would make an employee of a businesses organization personally liable for their personal conduct in the harassment of another employee. Assembly Bill 1856 would amend the law, which currently holds employers, managers, supervisors, labor organizations and employment training program personnel civilly liable for the harassment of an employee.
Harassment is prohibited under the law, including on the basis of race, religious beliefs, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, age or sexual orientation.
The measure was introduced following a recent state Supreme Court decision that ruled non-supervisory employees couldn't be held liable for harassment under current state law. The decision was based upon a claim involving workers at the California Department of Corrections.
Internet Privacy Bill Introduced
Assemblyman Howard Wayne (D-San Diego) has introduced legislation that would prohibit an Internet service provider from releasing personal information about its customers to a third party for marketing purposes.
Assembly Bill 1793 would require and Internet service provider to obtain written permission from a customer before personal information could be released. Information such as an electronic mail address, social security number, birth date, income, occupation, credit card information, address, telephone number or mother's maiden name are some of the types of personal information covered by the bill.
Assembly Speaker Introduces Senior Center Bond Bill
Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles) has introduced a bill to place a $225,000,000 bond on the November 2000 ballot to pay for senior centers and associated programs.
Assembly Bill 1818 would authorize the sale of bonds to pay for acquisition, renovation, construction and equipment purchases for senior centers in California. The bond would also help finance startup costs for senior center programs.
Hate Crimes Registry Proposed
Assemblyman George Runner (R-Lancaster) has introduced legislation to create the Hate Crime Registration Act of 2000. Assembly Bill 1809 would require the mandatory registration of paroled hate crime offenders who commit crimes based upon the race, color, religion, nationality, country of origin, ancestry, disability, gender or sexual orientation of a person or place.
Runner sites that hate crime statistics are currently unreliable because there is no formal, consistent method of reporting such crimes between various law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
Use of Disabled Parking Placard Targeted
Assembly 1792 has been introduced by Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa to target people who fraudulently use a disabled parking placard. The bill would impose a mandatory $250 fine for misuse of the placards and would make it a potential felony to attempt to fraudulently obtain a disabled parking placard.
Last fall, 16 University of California Los Angeles football players were fined and ordered to perform community service for their use of disabled parking placards.
Racial Profiling Bill Reintroduced
Senator Kevin Murray has reintroduced legislation to require the California Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies to collect and report information about traffic stops in California. Specifically, the bill is attempting to build a database in order to determine to what extent “racial profiling,” occurs in California. Murray, along with a host of other Hispanic and African-American legislators argue that racial profiling exists, and that people of color are routinely stopped in their cars by law enforcement officers who offer no explanation for the traffic stop.
Last year, Governor Gray Davis vetoed a similar bill by Senator Murray, and requested that the CHP and local law enforcement agencies voluntarily submit the data to the state. However, only 50 of the 433 law enforcement agencies in the state are cooperating with the request and providing information.