Governor Issued a proclamation declaring May to...

Governor Issued a proclamation declaring May to be High Blood Pressure Awareness Month.

Assembly Committee Action: Minimum Wage: The Labor and Employment Committee approved a bill (AB 1187) by Assemblyman Richard Floyd (D-Hawthorne) to increase the minimum wage from $3.35 an hour to $5 an hour over two years. A 6-4 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Credit Cards: The Finance and Insurance Committee approved a bill (AB 2) by Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-Los Banos) to limit the interest rate that could be charged on bank credit cards to 8 percentage points above the six-month U. S. Treasury bill rate, now 6.16%. An 11-10 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor.

AIDS: The Health Committee approved a bill (AB 2650) by Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) to provide free, confidential AIDS tests for students at state-supported colleges and universities. A 12-3 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Senate Committee Action: AIDS: The Judiciary Committee approved two bills (SB 1002 and SB 1004) by Sen. John Doolittle (R-Citrus Heights) to make it a felony offense for anyone who knows he or she has AIDS or who has tested positive for AIDS antibodies to donate blood and to add three years the the prison term for anyone convicted of a sex crime who knew he or she had AIDS at the time of the crime. The bills were sent to the Appropriations Committee for more screening by 7-2 and 6-2 votes, respectively.

Indirect Initiatives: The Elections Committee approved a constitutional amendment (SCA 22) by Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) to require the Legislature to consider and vote on a proposed initiative when 80% of the signatures needed to qualify it for the ballot are collected. Proponents could either accept the lawmakers’ decision or continue their efforts to place the issue before the voters. A 4-1 vote sent the measure to the Appropriations Committee. Similar legislation was defeated in 1985.

Miscellany State Song: When the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee approved a bill (AB 1535) by Assemblyman Tim Leslie (R-Carmichael) to declare that “I Love You, California” is the official state song, committee members insisted that Leslie sing the song for them. After his less-than-stirring rendition, Assemblyman Ross Johnson (R-La Habra) played the Beach Boys’ classic “California Girls” on a tape recorder and moved to substitute it for Leslie’s song. His motion failed after members expressed concern that “California Girls” might not be an appropriate tune for children to sing in school. Leslie’s bill moves to the Assembly floor, where he probably will be asked to sing an encore.