Senate Panel Picked to Enforce Ethics Reform

A six-member Senate Ethics Committee has been appointed to enforce the provisions of a legislative ethical reform proposition approved by the voters last year.

Veteran Sen. Leroy Greene (D-Carmichael) was named to head the panel. Other members are Sens. Nicholas Petris (D-Oakland), Robert Presley (D-Riverside), William Craven (R-Oceanside), Ed Davis (R-Chatsworth) and Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach).

Proposition 112 banned legislative speaking fees and restricted the outside income of lawmakers. It also established an independent commission to set salaries and benefits for elected state officials, resulting in substantial pay raises for the officials.

The state Senate committee can recommend disciplinary action to be taken against members who violate rules of conduct.

The Senate voted last August to create the committee as part of an ethics package sparked in part by the indictments of two formers senators--Joseph Montoya (D-Whittier) and Paul Carpenter (D-Cypress)--on federal corruption charges.

“Sen. Greene has a deserved reputation for integrity,” said Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles). “His committee will give us a means of dealing with ethics problems before they reach criminal law violations.” ASSEMBLY Floor Action

Pickup Trucks: Rejected on a 37-33 vote a bill (AB 178) by Assemblyman Curtis Tucker Jr. (D-Inglewood) to prohibit riders in the back of open pickup trucks unless they are protected against being thrown out in case of an accident. Forty-one yes votes were required for approval. Another vote was requested.

Elections: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 41-31 vote a bill (AB 169) by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) to establish a “kid’s vote” program under which schoolchildren could accompany parents to the polls and cast mock election ballots. The program, designed to encourage more parents to vote, would be financed by private funds. Committee Action

Parental Leave: The Labor and Employment Committee approved a bill (AB 77) by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) to permit employees to take up to four months unpaid leave to care for a new or sick child or an elderly family member without fear of losing their jobs. A 6-1 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Sick Leave: The Labor and Employment Committee also approved a bill (AB 1546) by Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Los Angeles) to require employers who have a sick leave policy to allow employees to use it to care for sick children. A 6-2 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

VDT Safety: The Labor Committee also approved a bill (AB 644) by Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to require all video display terminals sold in California after July 1, 1993, to meet specified health and safety standards. A 6-2 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee. SENATE Committee Action

Liquor Taxes: The Revenue and Taxation Committee approved a bill (SB 21) by Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco) to increase taxes on beer, wine and hard liquor to raise new state general fund revenues. A 5-1 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

College Tuition: The Education Committee approved a bill (SB 1163) by Sen. Gary Hart (D-Santa Barbara) to set up a state college savings bond program to encourage families to save money to cover future college tuition costs of their children. An 8-0 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

Desalinated Water: The Agriculture and Water Committee approved a bill (SB 1087) by Sen. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) calling for a $300-million bond issue to finance facilities to purify brackish underground water. A 6-0 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

Low-Flush Toilets: The Housing and Urban Affairs Committee rejected a bill (SB 1224) by Sen. Lucy Killea (D-San Diego) to require water-saving devices such as low-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads to be installed in homes and businesses before they could be sold. Four yes votes were required for approval; the vote was 3-2. Capital Fact

California’s prison population hit the 100,157 mark earlier this month, more than four times the 24,569 prisoners incarcerated a decade ago, according to the Department of Corrections.