Governor Signed a bill (AB 2581) by...

Governor Signed a bill (AB 2581) by Assemblyman Norm Waters (D-Plymouth) appropriating $800,000 to help the financially strapped California Exposition and State Fair stay in business until July 1.

Appointed Otis Thurman as warden of the California Institution for Men at Chino. The job pays $58,116 a year and requires Senate confirmation. Thurman has been acting superintendent at Chino since July.

Assembly Bills Introduced:

55-m.p.h. Speed Limit: AJR 87 by Assemblyman Richard Robinson (D-Garden Grove) would ask the federal government to let California selectively increase the maximum speed limit on interstate freeways in rural areas.

Low-Level Radioactive Waste: AB 4269 by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) would enable California to enter into a low-level radioactive waste disposal compact with South Dakota. The disposal site would be located somewhere in California.

Senate Bills Introduced:

Alcohol-Related Birth Defects: SB 2291 by Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) would require all wine, beer and liquor bottles to carry a label that says, “Warning: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause low birth weight, miscarriage and birth defects.”

Arson: SB 2276-77 by Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) would extend from three to six years the statute of limitations for prosecuting arson crimes and expand the definition of explosive devices to include new technology used by arsonists.

Miscellany:

Non-Election Year Campaign Fund Raising: State constitutional officers and legislators raised more than $27.1 million in campaign contributions last year when none was up for election. That was $10 million, or 66%, more than they raised during the 1983 non-election year. Legislative incumbents raised $17.3 million in 1985, contrasted with $14.3 million three years ago. “Virtually all money raised in an off-year, especially by incumbent legislators, comes from lobbying groups engaged in efforts to obtain favorable legislative outcomes,” said Walter Zelman of California Common Cause. “Inevitably, the biggest loser in the off-year fund-raising game is the public interest.”