Assembly Committee Action:Marijuana: The Assembly Public Safety...

Assembly Committee Action:

Marijuana: The Assembly Public Safety Committee rejected a bill (AB 1512) by Assemblyman Tim Leslie (R-Carmichael) to increase the maximum fine for misdemeanor conviction of possession of marijuana from $100 to $1,000. The bill received a 3-0 vote, but required four yes votes for approval.

Pornography: The Public Safety Committee also defeated a bill (AB 2421) by Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) to prohibit the sale of pornographic materials in vending machines located anywhere near areas where minors are likely to be present. This bill received a 3-1 vote with four votes needed.

Gas Chamber: The same committee also turned down a bill (AB 1716) by Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) to replace the San Quentin gas chamber with lethal injections to execute convicted murderers. It received a 3-2 vote, but also required four votes.

Housing: The Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development approved legislation (SB 1692 and SB 1693) by Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) to authorize an $850-million housing bond issue for the June general election ballot. A 7-2 vote sent both bills to the Ways and Means Committee for further screening.

Veal: The Assembly Public Safety Committee approved a bill (AB 2653) by Assemblyman Tom Bates (D-Oakland) to make it a crime punishable by up to three years in state prison and/or a $1,000 fine to raise a calf nearly motionless in a so-called wooden “veal crate.” The crate prevents calves from turning around or lying down naturally and assures the whiteness of the meat. A 5-2 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Toy Guns: The Public Safety Committee also approved another bill (AB 2687) by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) to provide civil penalties up to $10,000 for failing to place fluorescent or other permanent color markings on toy guns that look like real firearms to help law enforcement officers to identify them. A 4-1 vote sent this bill to the Ways and Means Committee. Bill Introductions:

Budget: AB 2754 by Assemblyman John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara) would appropriate $44.3 billion for support of state government for the 1988-89 fiscal year starting July 1. Senate Committee Action:

Child Care: The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill (SB 722) by Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) to authorize a 50% tax credit to employers who help finance child-care programs for their employees. A 7-0 vote sent the bill to the Senate floor. The governor has vetoed similar legislation in the past. Bill Introductions:

Vicious Dogs: SB 1741 by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) would impose stiff fines on the owners of vicious dogs, such as pit bulls, if they violate strict licensing requirements. Owners would have to carry $100,000 liability insurance and could not let the dogs run loose. The bill also calls for destruction of such dogs if they attack people, pets or livestock.

Cigarettes: SB 1745 by Sen. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) would permit only “fire-safe” cigarettes to be sold in California one year after safety performance standards are developed to help prevent such cigarettes from igniting upholstered furniture or mattresses when smokers fall asleep.

Budget: SB 1740 by Sen. Alfred E. Alquist (D-San Jose) would appropriate $44.3 billion for support of state government for the 1988-89 fiscal year starting July 1. Miscellany

Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights: Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda) and Ernest J. Dronenburg, chairman of the State Board of Equalization, have joined forces to propose a bill to set up a taxpayer’s bill of rights. The measure, among other things, would prohibit state tax collection agencies from using sums collected or assessed as a basis for evaluating employees and would set up a taxpayers’ rights advocate within the Franchise Tax Board. Similar legislation at the federal level has run into stiff Internal Revenue Service opposition.