GovernorWill help Mickey Mouse celebrate the cartoon...

Governor

Will help Mickey Mouse celebrate the cartoon character’s 60th birthday on Monday.

Assembly

Floor Action:

Drugs: Passed and sent to the governor on a 72-0 vote a bill (AB 2502) by Assemblywoman Lucy Killea (D-San Diego) to close a loophole in state law and make it a crime to knowingly possess large sums of money gained from illegal drug sales. Current law requires police to seize both money and drugs at the same time, allowing dealers to escape prosecution by exchanging drugs in one location and cash in another.

Sex Education: Rejected on a 40-30 vote a motion to withdraw from committee for floor action a stalled 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. Forty-one votes were required for approval of the motion.

Committee Action:

AIDS: The Assembly Ways and Means Committee approved a bill (SB 1002) by Sen. John Doolittle (R-Rocklin) to make it a felony offense for any person who knows that he or she has AIDS or has tested positive for the AIDS virus to donate blood to a blood bank or another person. A 17-0 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor.

Health Insurance: The Assembly Finance and Insurance Committee approved a constitutional amendment (ACA 60) by Assemblyman Dan Hauser (D-Arcata) to guarantee that the Legislature will pass an affordable health care program for all Californians within two years if the voters approve such a proposal. A 12-6 vote sent the bill to the Elections Committee.

Emergency Rooms: The Assembly Health Committee approved a bill (SB 1826) by Sen. Cecil N. Green (D-Norwalk) to appropriate $20 million for financially strapped Los Angeles County hospital emergency treatment rooms. A 12-5 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Senate

Committee Action:

Sulfites: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill (AB 418) by Assemblyman Burt Margolin (D-Los Angeles) to prohibit sulfites from being applied to fresh cut potatoes used for french fries and hash browns in restaurants. Sulfites preserve the fresh appearance of foods but they have caused severe allergic reactions in some people. A 6-0 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

Fish and Game: The Senate Rules Committee recommended confirmation of Pete Bontadelli as director of the state Department of Fish and Game. A 5-0 vote sent the recommendation to the Senate floor.