Panel OKs Bill to Abolish Public Information Officers

An Assembly committee has approved a bill to abolish all state public information officers as well as cut high-end salaries paid to state board and commission members.

An 8-1 vote sent the legislation (AB 173) by Assemblywoman Valerie Brown (D-Sonoma) from the Governmental Efficiency and Consumer Protection Committee to the Ways and Means Committee for more screening.

The bill would limit salaries paid to members of full-time state boards and commissions, which currently are in the $70,000 to $90,000 range, to no more than the $52,500 paid annually to rank-and-file state legislators.

Removal of the so-called PIOs who are attached to state agencies and some departments would eliminate 160 salaried positions, mostly in Sacramento offices. They are paid salaries ranging from $40,000 to about $70,000 a year.

Brown estimated that her measure, which also would cut existing state employee travel budgets by 50%, could save the state as much as $35 million a year.

ASSEMBLY

Bill Introductions

Gang Courses: AB 2264 by Assemblyman Dean Andal (R-Stockton) would require public school teachers to take school safety training courses, including gang identification techniques, effective handling of pupils armed with deadly weapons and the defusing of potentially explosive confrontations.

SENATE

Committee Action

Election Costs: The Elections and Reapportionment Committee rejected a bill (AB 37) by Assemblyman Ross Johnson (R-La Habra) to require the state, instead of the counties, to pick up the cost for special elections to fill legislative vacancies. There was no motion made by any committee member to move the legislation.

Gubernatorial Confirmation: The Rules Committee recommended that the full Senate confirm Gov. Pete Wilson’s appointment of former Republican U.S. Sen. John Seymour of Anaheim as executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency. A 3-0 vote sent the matter to the upper house floor.

Chop Shops: The Judiciary Committee approved a bill (SB 73) by Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to increase prison penalties for people convicted of operating so-called chop shops where parts of stolen motor vehicles are sold. A 6-0 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

Bill Introductions

Legislative Vacancies: SCA 27 by Sen. Milton Marks (D-San Francisco) would require legislative vacancies to serve out the remainder of terms to be filled by gubernatorial appointments of people who belong to the same political party as the person leaving the office.

New State Office: SB 1027 by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) would establish a state Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

Multicultural Education: SCR 14 by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) supports establishment of a multicultural education and research organization in Los Angeles County to unify divided communities and build a consensus on public policy issues.