Bill Would Require Drug Tests for in-State Truck Drivers

An Assembly committee has approved legislation to require in-state commercial truck drivers to be tested for drug use to help prevent serious highway accidents.

A 12-1 vote sent the bill (AB 347) by Assemblyman Jerry Eaves (D-Rialto) to the Ways and Means Committee.

Federal law currently requires interstate truckers to participate in pre-employment drug testing with an automatic two-year follow-up and more tests if drug usage is suspected by qualified supervisors. But federal law doesn’t cover truck drivers who operate only within California.

The bill would require in-state truck drivers to conform with federal law. There is no provision for random drug testing. “My bill will ensure that California’s roads are as safe as those in the rest of the nation,” Eaves said.

ASSEMBLY

Committee Action

* Automobile Purchases: The Consumer Protection Committee approved a bill (AB 126) by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) to let automobile buyers cancel a purchase contract within one business day after it is signed if the vehicle is left in the dealer’s possession. A 6-4 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Bill Introductions

* Execution Witnesses: AB 2246 by Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco) would authorize members of the news media, including, television, to be present at the executions in the San Quentin gas chamber.

* Veterans’ Education: AB 2245 by Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) would exempt eligible Operation Desert Storm veterans from paying resident tuition fees at higher educational institutions for up to two years.

* Home Buyers: AJR 34 by Assemblyman Phil Wyman (R-Tehachapi) requests the President and the Congress to enact legislation that would allow first-time home buyers to save for the down-payment without having to pay taxes on the interest.

SENATE

Floor Action

* Automobile Bumpers: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 21-10 vote a bill (SB 265) by Sen. Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco) to require new automobiles to carry stickers that tell potential purchasers the speed at which the vehicle would suffer damage in minor collisions.

* University of California: Passed and sent to the Assembly a resolution (SCR 8) by Sen. Gary Hart (D-Santa Barbara) requesting the president of the University of California to address a joint session of the Legislature once every two years.

* Operation Desert Storm: Passed and returned to the Assembly for concurrence in amendments on a 26-0 vote a resolution (AJR 23) by Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) supporting President Bush’s actions to end Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait.

Bill Introductions

* Women in Prison: SCR 33 by Sen. Dan McCorquodale (D-San Jose) requests the governor to appoint a blue-ribbon commission to look into alternatives for state prison terms for nonviolent women inmates.

Capital Fact

California’s registered vehicles increased by 300,000 during 1990, reaching a statewide total of 25.5 million, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.