Special License Plates Would Raise Funds for AIDS Research

The Assembly has approved legislation authorizing the sale of special license plates for an additional fee to raise funds for HIV and AIDS education and research.

A 45-11 vote sent the bill (AB 2848) by Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento) to the Senate. There was no debate on the lower house floor. The Department of Motor Vehicles would approve the final design of the HIV/AIDS plates.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

* Plea Bargaining: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 59-5 vote a bill (AB 3761) by Assemblyman Richard Mountjoy (R-Monrovia) prohibiting plea bargaining in cases in which a gun was used in a crime.

* Attorney Advertising: Rejected on a 32-10 vote a bill (AB 3659) by Assemblyman Paul Horcher (R-Diamond Bar) imposing restrictions on radio and television advertisements by lawyers. Forty-one votes were required for approval. Reconsideration requested.

* Unemployment Insurance: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 41-28 vote a bill (AB 2867) by Assemblywoman Juanita McDonald (D-Carson) increasing the maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefit to $245 from $230 after Jan. 1, 1995.

* Workplace Safety: Rejected on a 33-30 vote a bill (AB 3230) by Assemblywoman Barbara Friedman (D-North Hollywood) instructing the state Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt guidelines to protect employees against violence in the workplace. Forty-one votes required for passage. Reconsideration requested.

* Absentee Voters: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 45-29 vote a bill (AB 2446) by Assemblywoman Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey) permitting voters to apply for permanent absentee voter status.

* AFDC and Medi-Cal Advice: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 41-27 vote a bill (AB 2409) by Assemblyman Willard Murray Jr. (D-Paramount) to initiate a pilot project in Compton and South-Central Los Angeles that provides applicants for Aid to Families With Dependent Children and MediCal with information on family planning, sex education, drug use during pregnancy, AIDS and birth control devices.

* Prisoner Stalking: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 74-0 vote a bill (AB 3730) by Assemblyman Tom Umberg (D-Garden Grove) that allows for the prosecution of inmates who make telephone calls or write letters to harass people outside of prison.

Committee Action

* Earthquake Insurance: The Insurance Committee rejected a bill (AB 2613) by Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-San Jose) to revive a state-operated earthquake insurance program. The measure received six votes, but needed seven for approval. Reconsideration was granted.

* Lemon Autos: The Ways and Means Committee rejected a bill (AB 3333) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-Burlingame) that would set up an arbitration program to help unhappy new-car purchasers get a replacement vehicle or their money back. The vote was 11 to 10 against the bill. Reconsideration requested.

* Handgun Penalties: The Public Safety Committee approved a bill (AB 10X) by Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Brentwood) adding up to eight years to the prison sentences of those using a handgun while committing a violent felony. A 6-0 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

Bill Introductions

* Judicial Performance: ACA 46 by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) would give private citizens instead of judges the majority of votes on the nine-member Commission on Judicial Performance, open secret judge disciplinary hearings to the public and permit the removal of judges for violations of conduct that occur either on or off the bench.

Readers who wish to communicate with legislators regarding Assembly or Senate bills can write to them at the State Capitol Building, Sacramento, Calif. 95814.