Device to Be Required on Cars of Some Repeat Drunk Drivers

Gov. Pete Wilson has signed a bill to require the courts to prohibit a person convicted of two drunk driving offenses within seven years from driving unless a device has been installed on the driver’s vehicle that prevents the engine from starting when the driver has been drinking.

Authored by Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Los Angeles), the new law (AB 2851) goes into effect next July 1.

Called an ignition interlock device, the mechanism is designed to prevent a motor vehicle from being started if the driver’s breath registers an unsafe alcohol level.

The Friedman bill swept through the Assembly and Senate on 71-0 and 33-0 votes, respectively.

GOVERNOR

Bills Signed

Home Deliveries: SB 1387 by Sen. Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward) to require retailers, public utilities and cable television companies to notify customers of a four-hour period during which a delivery or service call will be made on the day before they arrive.

Roadside Rests: AB 1067 by Assemblyman Robert C. Frazee (R-Carlsbad) to prohibit the solicitation of money from motorists at state roadside rest stops and vista points. It also gives law enforcement officers the authority to remove people deemed to be nuisances from the rest areas.

Liquor Licenses: SB 1315 by Sen. Bill Leonard (R-Upland) to allow the state to refuse to issue liquor licenses to businesses located within 600 feet of schools, playgrounds, churches and hospitals.

Sports Memorabilia: AB 3113 by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-S. San Francisco) to require autographed sports memorabilia sold for $50 or more to include a certificate of authenticity.

Welfare Children: AB 3332 by Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) to allow welfare children placed in foster homes to visit their brothers and sisters if the Juvenile Court approves of such visits.

Money Laundering: AB 3716 by Assemblyman Charles W. Quackenbush (R-Saratoga) to expand the definition of money laundering to include any number of transactions within a 24-hour period with a cumulative value of more than $5,000.

Volunteer Professors: SB 1878 by Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) to let California State University faculty members who take early retirement continue to teach on a voluntary, unpaid basis without losing any retirement benefits.

Wine Grapevines: SB 1618 by Sen. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) to establish a state grape rootstock improvement commission to step up research into phylloxera and other insects and diseases that injure wine grapevines.

Contractor Fines: AB 3240 by Assemblywoman Delaine Eastin (D-Union City) to allow the state to assess civil penalties of up to $15,000 against licensed and unlicensed contractors under specified circumstances.

Fire Relief: SB 1370 by Sen. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) to provide income tax relief to victims of recent forest fires in Shasta, Trinity and Calaveras counties, and reimburse local governments for lost property tax revenues.

Miscellany

New Committee Chairwoman: Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) has appointed Assemblywoman Marguerite Archie-Hudson (D-Los Angeles) to chair the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Archie-Hudson replaces Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), who is running for a state Senate seat in November.