Two for the Good of California

Back in session after its summer recess, the Legislature must soon act on key issues pending before it.

AB 13, prohibiting smoking in most enclosed workplaces, is scheduled for a key vote today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, having earlier cleared the Assembly. Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Brentwood) has worked hard to assemble a strong coalition of supporters, including the California Restaurant Assn. and the California Medical Assn., while fine-tuning his bill to broaden consensus. The measure now would allow employers to provide separately ventilated smoking rooms for employees who wish to smoke on rest breaks and would exempt tobacco shops from the ban on smoking.

The Legislature, though tempted, has resisted efforts led by the tobacco industry to preempt tough local ordinances, such as Los Angeles’ new restaurant smoking ban. The growing number of these ordinances demonstrates that the state’s nonsmoking majority is increasingly unwilling to tolerate exposure to unhealthful secondhand smoke. The choice is between a patchwork of local laws and a reasonable statewide standard.

Also pending is overdue reform of the 20-year-old California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA. This landmark law, which has become a model for other states, gives the public a right to information regarding proposed development. It requires a report on the adverse environmental impacts of a project and requires that developers respond to or mitigate public concerns before going forward. The goals of CEQA are just as necessary now as before, but the process has become unnecessarily costly and time-consuming.

Gov. Pete Wilson listed reform of CEQA, along with overhaul of the state workers’ compensation law, among his top legislative priorities for this year. Workers’ comp reform has passed. CEQA reform is also possible, but only with good-faith bargaining by industry groups. A promising package of bills faces key committee tests next week. The bills would streamline the review process and get rid of frivolous challenges designed simply to sidetrack worthy projects but would not gut CEQA. They represent a compromise well worth everyone’s support.