Proposed Legislation Would Stiffen Hate Crime Penalties

Penalties for hate crimes would be substantially increased under proposed Senate legislation endorsed by Democratic Lt. Gov. Leo T. McCarthy, who said war and a sagging economy are provoking more offenses.

“Hate crimes are crimes committed against victims because of their race, religion or sexual orientation,” McCarthy said.

“With the war in the Persian Gulf and a recession here at home, the climate is right for an increase in hate crimes. . . . In 1991, California faces a wave of hate crimes greater than we have seen since the heyday of the Ku Klux Klan,” he said.

“There are no individual victims of hate crimes,” he said. “When anyone is attacked for being black or Jewish or gay or Arab or anything else, it is an attack upon all of us.”

The bill (SB 98) is sponsored by Sen. Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward), who said there were 75 hate crimes reported in his district last year.

The measure would double the sentence for misdemeanor hate crimes from six months to a year in jail, add one to four years in prison for felony crimes, increase civil penalties from $10,000 to $25,000 and remove a limit on punitive damage awards in civil suits. GOVERNOR

Appointed Sally Rakow of Marin County, a political consultant, to the state Energy Resources, Conservation and Development Commission. A Republican, Rakow, will receive $92,465 a year. Her appointment is subject to state Senate confirmation. ASSEMBLY

Bill Introductions

Trees: AB 445 by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-South San Francisco) would require cities and counties to enact tree-planting and protection ordinances and report to the state Resources Agency and the Legislature on their implementation.

Initiatives: AB 441 by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) would prohibit sponsors of ballot initiatives from paying professional signature gatherers to collect names to qualify the propositions.

Cheese: AB 439 by Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-Los Banos) would create the California Cheese Commission within state government without specifying its membership, powers or duties.

Smoking: AB 402 by Assemblyman Gerald N. Felando (R-San Pedro) would prohibit smoking in all publicly and privately owned buildings accessible to the public.

Homeless Youth: AB 411 by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) would make an annual appropriation of $250,000 to Los Angeles County for aid to homeless youth.

Gangs: AB 346 by Assemblyman Gerald R. Eaves (D-Rialto) would require known gang members convicted of crimes to register with local law enforcement authorities. The aim is to help keep track of their movements. SENATE

Committee Action

Open Meetings: The Local Government Committee approved a bill (SB 78) by Sen. Ralph C. Dills (D-Gardena) to direct local agencies to post advance agendas and allow the public to speak at public meetings. A 5-1 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee for more screening.

Bill Introductions

Lottery: SB 309 by Dills would increase the minimum state lottery allocation for schools from 34% to 38% and reduce the maximum allocation for expenses from 16% to 12%.

Voting: SB 293 by Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco) would allow California military personnel stationed in the Persian Gulf to use facsimile machines to register to vote and cast absentee election ballots.

Coastal Protection: SB 283 and SB 284 by Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) would help curb illegal construction along California’s coastline by increasing potential fines and allowing them to be imposed administratively rather than through the courts. Miscellany

Safety Seats: Forty-four of 53 children killed in California traffic accidents during 11 months of 1990 were not in safety seats as required by law, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP issued 21,476 citations statewide for safety seat violations last year. The law requires safety seats for youngsters under 4 years of age or those weighing less than 40 pounds, regardless of age. Capital Fact

The official state bird is the California valley quail.