Law Would Forbid Teen-Agers to Drive Between 1 and 5 a.m.

Teen-agers would be prohibited from driving between 1 and 5 a.m. in an effort to reduce the number of drunk-driving traffic deaths and injuries under legislation proposed by a Southern California assemblyman.

Sponsor Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) said the combination of fast cars, teen-agers and alcohol too often is a lethal one.

“Forty percent of all the 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in car accidents in 1991 in this country tested positive for alcohol,” Peace said, “and most deadly crashes take place at night.”

A similar Pennsylvania driving curfew statute has resulted in a 69% reduction in traffic accidents involving teen-age drivers since it was adopted 10 years ago, according to Peace.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

LSD: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 56-0 vote a bill (AB 246) by Assemblywoman Margaret Snyder (D-Modesto) to add two years to the prison sentence of a person convicted of selling the drug LSD within 1,000 feet of a school while classes are being held.

Prenatal Care: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 41-30 vote a bill (AB 241) by Assemblyman Willard Murray Jr. (D-Paramount) to allow Los Angeles County to establish a prenatal drug and alcohol abuse prevention and treatment program in South-Central Los Angeles.

Committee Action

Truck Safety: The Transportation Committee approved a bill (AB 153) by Assemblyman Curtis Tucker Jr. (D-Inglewood) to prohibit people from riding in the beds of open pickup trucks unless they are secured by a restraint system. A 12-2 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Tree Protection: The Natural Resources Committee approved a bill (AB 205) by Assemblyman Terry Friedman (D-Encino) to require cities and counties to adopt tree protection ordinances and require developers to plant trees to replace those that are cut down during construction. A 7-5 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Tax Merger: The Revenue and Taxation Committee approved a bill (AB 15) by Assemblyman Johan Klehs (D-San Leandro) to consolidate the Franchise Tax Board and the state Board of Equalization into a single tax collection body. Gov. Pete Wilson supports the concept. A 10-0 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

SENATE

Floor Action

Auditor General: Adopted by a 28-0 vote a two-house conference committee report on a bill (SB 37) by Sen. Ken Maddy (R-Fresno) to re-create the Auditor General’s Office under the state’s Little Hoover Commission. The office was abolished because of legislative cuts required by Proposition 140, approved by the voters in 1990. Assembly action also is required.

Committee Action

Carjacking: The Appropriations Committee approved a bill (SB 60) by Sen. Robert Presley (D-Riverside) to make carjacking a specific crime and substantially increase prison sentences for convictions. Gov. Pete Wilson supports this legislation. A 9-0 vote sent the bill to the Senate floor.

Chop Shops: The Appropriations Committee approved a bill (SB 73) by Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to increase prison penalties for people convicted of operating so-called chop shops where stolen automobiles are dismantled and their parts sold. An 8-0 vote sent the bill to the Senate floor.

Open Meetings: The Governmental Organization Committee approved a bill (SB 367) by Sen. Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco) to require state bodies to allow public testimony on agenda items before taking action. A 9-0 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

Capital Fact

The first U.S. President to visit California was Ulysses S. Grant in 1879. Grant previously had been stationed in the state in 1853 as an Army officer at Ft. Humboldt.