SenateFloor Action:Drunk Driving: Passed and sent to...

Senate

Floor Action:

Drunk Driving: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 27-2 vote a bill (SB 1902) by Sen. Ed Davis (R-Valencia) to make it an infraction punishable by a fine of up to $250, plus suspension of driver’s license for one year, for refusal to submit to a chemical test for drunk driving if requested to do so by a police officer.

Auto Insurance: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 34-0 vote a bill (SB 2184) by Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys) to prohibit automobile insurance companies from refusing to write coverage policies based solely on the age of a vehicle if the market value exceeds $2,500.

Committee Action:

Sex Education: The Senate Education Committee approved a bill (SB 2394) by Sen. Newton Russell (R-Glendale) to require public schools to teach students that abstinence from sexual intercourse is the only 100% effective protection against unwanted pregnancies, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. A 6-0 vote sent it to the Senate floor.

State Dance: The Senate Rules Committee approved a bill (SB 2460) by Sen. Quentin L. Kopp (I-San Francisco) to designate the West Coast swing dance, a jitterbug step popular in the 1940s, as the official state dance. A 4-0 vote sent the bill to the Senate floor.

Assembly

Committee Action:

Hazardous Materials: The Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee approved a bill (AB 3289) by Assemblywoman Marian W. La Follette (R-Northridge) to appropriate $1 million to match local donations to create a statewide hazardous materials firefighting training facility in Los Angeles County. A 14-0 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Parental Leave: The Assembly Ways and Means Committee approved a bill (AB 2738) by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) to allow parents of either sex to take up to four months of unpaid leave to care for sick or newborn children without fear of losing their jobs. A 12-8 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor. The governor vetoed a similar measure last year.

Automobile Leasing: The Assembly Ways and Means Committee approved a bill (AB 3135) by Assemblywoman Delaine Eastin (D-Union City) to require automobile leasing dealers to use easy-to-read type size describing terms and costs in their television advertisements. A 12-5 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor.