10 bills to watch in California's Legislature
Published: Sunday, Jun. 12, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 3A
This summer, lawmakers will consider increasing fines, banning more activities and closing tax loopholes. They have until early September to pass bills and send them to Gov. Jerry Brown. Here's a sample of the hundreds of bills still alive:
Immigrants
The debate: Anti-immigration groups and some lawmakers warn of $30 million in new costs to the state, a lower amount of aid to documented students and a rise in illegal immigration as people travel to California to take advantage. Brown supports the concept behind the bills, although he has not taken a position on these specific measures.
Open carry
The debate: Law enforcement officials want to curtail open-carry events that they say are intimidating to unarmed citizens. Gun owners consider this another step toward taking away their rights to bear arms.
Online sales tax
The debate: The proposal is one of three pending in the Legislature to force out-of-state companies to collect sales tax from Californians shopping online. But keeping California companies competitive could drive Amazon and others to drop in-state ties or file a legal challenge.
Shark fins
The debate: Pits a Chinese tradition, dating back two millennia, of using shark fins in cooking against the preservation of a fish deemed crucial to the ocean culture.
Cellphone use
The debate: An Assembly committee last year killed a similar bill without comment, but Simitian is optimistic about its chances. One change from last year is the addition of a point to a driver's record upon the second violation rather than the first.
Skier helmets
The debate: Helmet usage has been sloping upward. Yee wants a tool parents could use to coerce holdouts to get on board. Critics say enforcement of the $25 fines would be spotty.
Smoking
The debate: The small business provision affects venues such as hookah bars that supporters claim hook young adults into the world of smoking. Cigar shops want to make sure they aren't affected.
Tanning beds
The debate: It's a move that tanning salons fear would undercut up to a tenth of their business. Supporters note teenage exposure to ultraviolet radiation dramatically raises chances of skin cancer.
Bikes and cars
The debate: Spurred partly by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bicycle accident a year ago, the bill seeks to tighten current law to make sure drivers maintain a buffer of 3 feet with bicyclists and pass by them at reasonable speeds. Drivers would gain the right to drift onto the wrong side of a road if there isn't enough room for them alongside a bike. California auto clubs oppose the measure.
Cellphone search
The debate: The American Civil Liberties Union says police shouldn't be entitled to look through a wide window into your life without proving there's something criminal to be found. The Peace Officers Research Association of California says undoing the court ruling "unduly restricts" law enforcement.
Senate Bill 914 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco: Reverses a California Supreme Court decision that said law enforcement officers can search an arrestee's cellphone without a warrant.
Senate Bill 910 by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach: Defines a safe passing space for cars and bicycles and creates a $220 fine for vehicles colliding with bikes.
Senate Bill 746 by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance: Bans anyone under the age of 18 from using a tanning bed.
Senate Bill 575 by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord: Imposes smoking bans on locations exempted from the previous ban, including hotel and motel lobbies and banquet rooms, warehouses, employee break rooms and small businesses.
Senate Bill 105 by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco: Requires skiers and snowboarders under the age of 18 to wear a helmet.
Senate Bill 28 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto: Increases the overall fine for using a cellphone while driving from $208 to $328 and creates a $20 fine for using a cell phone while riding a bicycle.
Assembly Bill 376 by Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino: Bans the sale, transfer or possession of shark fins.
Assembly Bill 155 by Assemblyman Charles Calderon, D-Whittier: Raises an estimated $83 million by requiring companies, such as Amazon.com, that don't have a physical presence in California but control a California subsidiary to collect a tax on purchases.
Assembly Bill 144 by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge: Makes it a misdemeanor to carry an unloaded weapon in public.
Assembly Bills 130 and 131 by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles: Allows undocumented students at California's public colleges to get private and public financial aid. The debate: Law enforcement officials want to curtail open-carry events that they say are intimidating to unarmed citizens. Gun owners consider this another step toward taking away their rights to bear arms.
Online sales tax
The debate: The proposal is one of three pending in the Legislature to force out-of-state companies to collect sales tax from Californians shopping online. But keeping California companies competitive could drive Amazon and others to drop in-state ties or file a legal challenge.
Shark fins
The debate: Pits a Chinese tradition, dating back two millennia, of using shark fins in cooking against the preservation of a fish deemed crucial to the ocean culture.
Cellphone use
The debate: An Assembly committee last year killed a similar bill without comment, but Simitian is optimistic about its chances. One change from last year is the addition of a point to a driver's record upon the second violation rather than the first.
Skier helmets
The debate: Helmet usage has been sloping upward. Yee wants a tool parents could use to coerce holdouts to get on board. Critics say enforcement of the $25 fines would be spotty.
Smoking
The debate: The small business provision affects venues such as hookah bars that supporters claim hook young adults into the world of smoking. Cigar shops want to make sure they aren't affected.
Tanning beds
The debate: It's a move that tanning salons fear would undercut up to a tenth of their business. Supporters note teenage exposure to ultraviolet radiation dramatically raises chances of skin cancer.
Bikes and cars
The debate: Spurred partly by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bicycle accident a year ago, the bill seeks to tighten current law to make sure drivers maintain a buffer of 3 feet with bicyclists and pass by them at reasonable speeds. Drivers would gain the right to drift onto the wrong side of a road if there isn't enough room for them alongside a bike. California auto clubs oppose the measure.
Cellphone search
The debate: The American Civil Liberties Union says police shouldn't be entitled to look through a wide window into your life without proving there's something criminal to be found. The Peace Officers Research Association of California says undoing the court ruling "unduly restricts" law enforcement.
Senate Bill 914 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco: Reverses a California Supreme Court decision that said law enforcement officers can search an arrestee's cellphone without a warrant.
Senate Bill 910 by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach: Defines a safe passing space for cars and bicycles and creates a $220 fine for vehicles colliding with bikes.
Senate Bill 746 by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance: Bans anyone under the age of 18 from using a tanning bed.
Senate Bill 575 by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord: Imposes smoking bans on locations exempted from the previous ban, including hotel and motel lobbies and banquet rooms, warehouses, employee break rooms and small businesses.
Senate Bill 105 by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco: Requires skiers and snowboarders under the age of 18 to wear a helmet.
Senate Bill 28 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto: Increases the overall fine for using a cellphone while driving from $208 to $328 and creates a $20 fine for using a cell phone while riding a bicycle.
Assembly Bill 376 by Assemblyman Paul Fong, D-Cupertino: Bans the sale, transfer or possession of shark fins.
Assembly Bill 155 by Assemblyman Charles Calderon, D-Whittier: Raises an estimated $83 million by requiring companies, such as Amazon.com, that don't have a physical presence in California but control a California subsidiary to collect a tax on purchases.The debate: Pits a Chinese tradition, dating back two millennia, of using shark fins in cooking against the preservation of a fish deemed crucial to the ocean culture.
Cellphone use
The debate: An Assembly committee last year killed a similar bill without comment, but Simitian is optimistic about its chances. One change from last year is the addition of a point to a driver's record upon the second violation rather than the first.
Skier helmets
The debate: Helmet usage has been sloping upward. Yee wants a tool parents could use to coerce holdouts to get on board. Critics say enforcement of the $25 fines would be spotty.
Smoking
The debate: The small business provision affects venues such as hookah bars that supporters claim hook young adults into the world of smoking. Cigar shops want to make sure they aren't affected.
Tanning beds
The debate: It's a move that tanning salons fear would undercut up to a tenth of their business. Supporters note teenage exposure to ultraviolet radiation dramatically raises chances of skin cancer.
Bikes and cars
The debate: Spurred partly by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bicycle accident a year ago, the bill seeks to tighten current law to make sure drivers maintain a buffer of 3 feet with bicyclists and pass by them at reasonable speeds. Drivers would gain the right to drift onto the wrong side of a road if there isn't enough room for them alongside a bike. California auto clubs oppose the measure.
Cellphone search
The debate: The American Civil Liberties Union says police shouldn't be entitled to look through a wide window into your life without proving there's something criminal to be found. The Peace Officers Research Association of California says undoing the court ruling "unduly restricts" law enforcement.
Senate Bill 914 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco: Reverses a California Supreme Court decision that said law enforcement officers can search an arrestee's cellphone without a warrant.
Senate Bill 910 by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach: Defines a safe passing space for cars and bicycles and creates a $220 fine for vehicles colliding with bikes.
Senate Bill 746 by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance: Bans anyone under the age of 18 from using a tanning bed.
Senate Bill 575 by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord: Imposes smoking bans on locations exempted from the previous ban, including hotel and motel lobbies and banquet rooms, warehouses, employee break rooms and small businesses.
Senate Bill 105 by Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco: Requires skiers and snowboarders under the age of 18 to wear a helmet.
Senate Bill 28 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto: Increases the overall fine for using a cellphone while driving from $208 to $328 and creates a $20 fine for using a cell phone while riding a bicycle. The debate: Helmet usage has been sloping upward. Yee wants a tool parents could use to coerce holdouts to get on board. Critics say enforcement of the $25 fines would be spotty.
Smoking
The debate: The small business provision affects venues such as hookah bars that supporters claim hook young adults into the world of smoking. Cigar shops want to make sure they aren't affected.
Tanning beds
The debate: It's a move that tanning salons fear would undercut up to a tenth of their business. Supporters note teenage exposure to ultraviolet radiation dramatically raises chances of skin cancer.
Bikes and cars
The debate: Spurred partly by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bicycle accident a year ago, the bill seeks to tighten current law to make sure drivers maintain a buffer of 3 feet with bicyclists and pass by them at reasonable speeds. Drivers would gain the right to drift onto the wrong side of a road if there isn't enough room for them alongside a bike. California auto clubs oppose the measure.
Cellphone search
The debate: The American Civil Liberties Union says police shouldn't be entitled to look through a wide window into your life without proving there's something criminal to be found. The Peace Officers Research Association of California says undoing the court ruling "unduly restricts" law enforcement.
Senate Bill 914 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco: Reverses a California Supreme Court decision that said law enforcement officers can search an arrestee's cellphone without a warrant.
Senate Bill 910 by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach: Defines a safe passing space for cars and bicycles and creates a $220 fine for vehicles colliding with bikes.
Senate Bill 746 by Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance: Bans anyone under the age of 18 from using a tanning bed.
Senate Bill 575 by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord: Imposes smoking bans on locations exempted from the previous ban, including hotel and motel lobbies and banquet rooms, warehouses, employee break rooms and small businesses. The debate: It's a move that tanning salons fear would undercut up to a tenth of their business. Supporters note teenage exposure to ultraviolet radiation dramatically raises chances of skin cancer.
Bikes and cars
The debate: Spurred partly by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bicycle accident a year ago, the bill seeks to tighten current law to make sure drivers maintain a buffer of 3 feet with bicyclists and pass by them at reasonable speeds. Drivers would gain the right to drift onto the wrong side of a road if there isn't enough room for them alongside a bike. California auto clubs oppose the measure.
Cellphone search
The debate: The American Civil Liberties Union says police shouldn't be entitled to look through a wide window into your life without proving there's something criminal to be found. The Peace Officers Research Association of California says undoing the court ruling "unduly restricts" law enforcement.
Senate Bill 914 by Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco: Reverses a California Supreme Court decision that said law enforcement officers can search an arrestee's cellphone without a warrant.
Senate Bill 910 by Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach: Defines a safe passing space for cars and bicycles and creates a $220 fine for vehicles colliding with bikes.The debate: The American Civil Liberties Union says police shouldn't be entitled to look through a wide window into your life without proving there's something criminal to be found. The Peace Officers Research Association of California says undoing the court ruling "unduly restricts" law enforcement.
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