Assembly OKs Bills to Allow 3% Down Payments for Homes

The Assembly has approved a pair of bills designed to set up a state-sponsored home mortgage guarantee fund that would allow first-time California home buyers to pay as little as 3% down.

The measures (AB 214 and AB 215), by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), were approved on 65-2 and 66-3 bipartisan votes and sent to the Senate.

Brown said his plan would help about 55,000 California families to purchase their first homes with low down payments and create an estimated 37,000 jobs.

Assembly Republican leader Jim Brulte of Rancho Cucamonga said Gov. Pete Wilson intends to sign the two bills into law.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

* Hospital Violence: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 42-23 vote a bill (AB 508) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-Burlingame) to require all hospitals by July 1, 1995, to develop security plans to deal with armed intruders. This bill stems from the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center shootings of three doctors this year.

* Statutory Rape: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 58-4 vote a bill (AB 415) by Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills) to extend the state’s statutory rape law to include sexual intercourse with a male under 18 years of age.

* Voter Registration: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 45-28 vote a bill (AB 744) by Assemblyman Joe Baca (D-San Bernardino) to require high school civics students 18 and older to be provided with the opportunity to register to vote on school premises.

* Cancer Screenings: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 44-23 vote a bill (AB 601) by Jackie Speier (D-Burlingame) to require health care providers who do breast or prostate cancer screenings to post signs informing patients they have a right to be informed about alternative treatments with the text written in English, Spanish and Chinese.

* Pornographic Videos: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 65-1 vote a bill (AB 538) by Assemblyman Bernie Richter (R-Chino) to make it a crime to rent a video and add pornographic footage to it to shock subsequent renters. The bill also calls for a penalty of up to six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

Committee Action

* Compton Schools: The Ways and Means Committee approved a bill (SB 399) by Sen. Teresa Hughes (D-Inglewood) granting a $16.5-million emergency loan to the financially troubled Compton Unified School District. A 13-8 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor.

* Chop Shops: The Public Safety Committee approved a bill (SB 73) by Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to increase prison penalties for people convicted of operating “chop shops” that specialize in stealing cars and selling their parts. A 7-0 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

* Prison Movies: The Public Safety Committee approved a bill (AB 1685) by Assemblyman Ray Haynes (R-Murrieta) to authorize prison wardens to ban violent R-rated movies that they believe could incite violence among inmates. A 5-0 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor.

SENATE

Floor Action

* Security Systems: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 32-3 vote a bill (SB 771) by Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) to allow campaign funds to be used to install security systems in the homes or offices of elected officials or candidates who have received threats to their safety.

* Employee Parking: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 39-0 vote a bill (SB 804) by Sen. John Lewis (R-Orange) to prohibit air quality management districts from requiring employers to charge employees for parking in an effort to encourage car pooling.

Committee Action

* Cesar Chavez Holiday: The Rules Committee approved a bill (SB 1253) by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) to establish a state holiday on March 31 in honor of Cesar Chavez, the president of the United Farm Workers union who died last month. A 3-0 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

* Official Salaries: The Rules Committee approved a constitutional amendment (SCA 12) by Sen. Quentin L. Kopp (I-San Francisco) to prohibit local elected officials from being paid more than the $120,000 annual salary authorized for the governor. There are five local elected officials who make more: the mayor, city attorney and district attorney of San Francisco, and the county assessor and sheriff of Los Angeles County. A 3-1 vote sent the measure to the Constitutional Amendments Committee.

Capital Fact

* The Latin motto inscribed above the Assembly chamber rostrum translates: “It is the duty of the legislators to make just laws.”