Measure Would Add Liquor, Water Bottles to Recycling Plan

Legislation to add empty liquor, wine and drinking water bottles to the state’s beverage container recycling program has been introduced in the Assembly.

The Department of Conservation said 89% of beer and soda containers sold in California in 1992 were made of recycled materials, an increase of more than 150% since the program started five years ago.

“We now know that California’s recycling program works,” said Assemblyman Burt Margolin (D-Los Angeles), author of the extension measure (AB 401). “And if it works for beer and soda bottles and cans, there is no reason why it shouldn’t work for liquor and wine and drinking water containers.”

Previous efforts to extend the law that gives consumers money back for returned containers have met with heavy opposition from liquor and wine industry lobbyists.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

Black History Month: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 64-0 vote a resolution (ACR 18) by Assemblywoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) to designate February as Black History Month.

Bill Introductions

New State Prison: AB 474 by Assemblyman Willard Murray Jr. (D-Paramount) would authorize the construction of a state prison in Southern California for the confinement of male inmates.

Automobile Purchases: AB 431 by Assemblywoman Gwen Moore (D-Los Angeles) would allow purchasers of new and used automobiles to cancel contracts within one day of signing if they change their minds.

Statutory Rape: AB 425 by Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills) would extend the state’s statutory rape law to include sexual intercourse with a male under 18 years of age.

Mental Health: AB 410 by Assemblyman Willard Murray Jr. (D-Paramount) would require the Office of Statewide Planning and Development to make a good faith effort to increase the number of minority mental health professionals.

SENATE

Floor Action

African-American Males: Granted final legislative approval on a 26-5 vote to a resolution (ACR 2) by Assemblywoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) to continue the existence of the Commission on African-American Males to make recommendations to the Legislature.

State Audits: Refused to concur in Assembly amendments to a bill (SB 37) by Sen. Ken Maddy (R-Fresno) to revive the defunct auditor general’s office--abolished because of Proposition 140 budget cuts--and make it part of the Little Hoover Commission. The vote was 32 to 1. There is a similar Assembly measure, and a two-house conference committee is expected to write a compromise version.

Committee Action

Parole Board: The Rules Committee unanimously recommended confirmation of Gov. Pete Wilson’s appointment of former Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Rohnert Park) to the State Board of Prison Terms, a job that pays $76,872 a year. A 5-0 vote sent the matter to the Senate floor.

Bill Introductions

Gun Sales: SB 247 by Sen. Nicholas Petris (D-Oakland) would require purchasers of firearms to give photographs and fingerprint certificates to dealers before receiving the weapons.

American-Made: SB 258 by Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco) would require public entities to buy American-made and California-made products when economically feasible.

Domestic Violence: SB 264 by Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) would require continuing education of law enforcement officers to include the handling of domestic violence complaints.

Women in Sports: SB 262 by Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) would require the number of intercollegiate athletic participant positions for each state college campus to reflect the ratio of women to men on that campus by the 1998-99 school year.

Capital Fact

The first Latino governor of California after it became a state was Romualdo Pacheco, a Republican, who assumed office Feb. 27, 1875.