Gov. Brown repeals unenforced sections of Prop. 187

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Monday that repeals unenforceable provisions of Proposition 187, the two-decade-old measure that sought to withhold public services from immigrants in the country illegally.

In all, Brown said Monday that he has signed 28 bills, also including a measure requiring public schools to stock epinephrine auto injectors on campus so medicine can be administered quickly if a student suffers from a serious anaphylactic allergy reaction during school hours. Senate Republican leader Bob Huff of Diamond Bar authored that bill, SB 1266.

Far more controversial was SB 396, which Brown signed to remove from the state law books key sections of the ballot measure approved by California voters in 1994 but struck down by the courts as unconstitutional.

“This is a long overdue fix to a law that has no place on the state’s books,” said Evan Westrup, a spokesman for Brown.

Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) introduced the repeal bill because he thought keeping the Proposition 187 language on the books was divisive.

“SB 396 closes a dark chapter in our state’s history, and brings dignity and respect to the national immigration debate. California is leading the country integrating immigrants into society and recognizing them as contributors to our economy,” de León said in a statement Monday.

The other bills signed into law by the governor included legislation that:

+Modifies state birth certificates to recognize same-sex couples. The bill, AB 1951 introduced by Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles), would allow parents to identify themselves as “father” or “mother” or a new gender-neutral option of “parent.”

+ Grants grandparents visitation rights to their grandchildren in certain cases. The bill, AB 1628 introduced by Assemblyman Steve Fox (D-Palmdale), allows a judge to grant visitation rights if: the grandparents have a preexisting relationship with the child; the visitation is in the best interest of the child; and one parent is incarcerated or institutionalized.

+Removes any limit on the number of syringes a pharmacists can sell to an adult without a prescription. The bill, AB 1743 introduced by Assemblyman Philip Y. Ting (D-San Francisco), also extends the state law allowing pharmacists to sell syringes without a prescription until 2021.

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