Wilson OKs Bill Easing Rules on Ride-Sharing for Small Firms

Gov. Pete Wilson has signed into law a bill to exempt small businesses with fewer than 100 employees from complying with South Coast Air Quality Management District ride-sharing regulations designed to help reduce smog.

The legislation (SB 1352) was sponsored by Sen. John Lewis (R-Orange). Lewis said the AQMD now requires firms with more than 100 workers to implement car-pooling and planned to extend the requirement to firms with more than 50 workers as early as next year.

The Southern California lawmaker said that the ride-sharing program is expensive for businesses to implement and that studies have shown it has little effect on air quality.

“This is a long overdue limitation of the AQMD’s power over the economic life of our region,” Lewis said.

The new law, effective Jan. 1, applies only to the AQMD area and expires after four years.

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Bills Signed

Attorney-Client Sex: AB 1400 by Assemblywoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles) to specify the circumstances under which sexual relations between an attorney and a client constitute cause for disciplinary action.

Firearms: AB 2777 by Assemblywoman Marguerite Archie-Hudson (D-Los Angeles) to make it a possible felony to carry a concealed or loaded firearm or exhibit a firearm in a threatening manner at a playground or youth center.

Criminal Penalties: AB 1611 by Assemblywoman Bev Hansen (R-Santa Rosa) to increase potential prison penalties for people convicted of committing felonies against the elderly, the physically disabled and children.

Yew Trees: AB 3756 by Assemblyman Byron Sher (D-Palo Alto) to establish a state policy on the management and use of the Pacific yew tree, a source of taxol, an anti-cancer drug being used to treat women who have breast and ovarian cancer.

Student Health: AB 3571 by Assemblyman Sam Farr (D-Carmel) to allow community colleges to increase the student health fee from $7.50 to $10 per semester.

Frivolous Lawsuits: SB 1264 by Sen. Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward) to give the courts new powers to throw out frivolous lawsuits whose intent is to cut off public debate and stifle free speech. Plaintiffs would be required to prove they have a probable chance of winning the lawsuit before going to trial.

Stalking: SB 1342 by Sen. Edward Royce (R-Anaheim) to strengthen the state’s anti-stalking law regarding the prosecution of people who follow, harass or threaten their victims with great bodily harm.

State Reports: AB 3564 by Assemblywoman Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley), AB 2874 by Assemblyman Bob Epple (D-Norwalk) and AB 2824 by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-Burlingame) to eliminate more than 450 unnecessary state government reports that previously were required by law.

Elevated Billboards: AB 2795 by Assemblyman Richard Floyd (D-Carson) to allow owners of billboards to elevate them to be visible from highways when sound wall barriers are erected.