Panel OKs Bill to Register Domestic Partnerships

A Senate committee has approved a bill to allow gay and other unmarried couples to officially register their relationships with the state and share rights now enjoyed by married couples.

A 7-3 vote sent the legislation (AB 2810) by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) from the Judiciary Committee to the Appropriations Committee.

The measure would set up a legal framework for domestic partnerships, require hospitals to include such domestic partners in family-only patient visits, and revise state laws relating to wills and conservatorships.

“There are a half-million unmarried couples in California who live together and provide warm and loving homes,” Katz said. “My bill gives these couples a few basic rights.”

Opponents of the legislation charge that it condones homosexuality and demeans traditional family values.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

* Late Payment Fees: Passed and sent to the governor on a 41-10 vote a bill (SB 1583) by Sen. Teresa Hughes (D-Inglewood) to increase the cap from $5 to $10 on late payment fees for retail store credit cards and installment contracts.

Committee Action

* School Uniforms: The Education Committee approved a bill (SB 1269) by Sen. Phil Wyman (R-Tehachapi) to allow local school boards to adopt dress codes requiring students to wear uniforms and prohibiting them from wearing gang-related apparel. A 9-1 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor.

* Sex Offenders: The Public Safety Committee approved a bill (AB 151X) by Assemblyman Sal Cannella (D-Ceres) to require convicted sex offenders to have their palm prints taken and kept on file in a statewide databank used for tracking sex offenders, rapists and kidnapers. A 7-0 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

* Three Strikes: The Public Safety Committee rejected a bill (SB 684) by Sen. Quentin Kopp (I-San Francisco) to place an alternate, less costly “three strikes and you’re out” proposal on the November general election ballot, along with the stronger version that has already qualified for the ballot. A 2-5 vote was cast on the measure.

* Prisoner’s Life Stories: The Public Safety Committee approved a bill (SB 1330) by Sen. Charles Calderon (D-Whittier) to prohibit convicted felons who have gained notoriety from their crimes from being paid for telling their life stories in movies, books or records. A 5-0 vote sent the bill to the Judiciary Committee.

* Automobile Weapon Checks: The Public Safety Committee rejected a bill (AB 145X) by Assemblyman Louis Caldera (D-Los Angeles) to allow local police departments to set up vehicle checkpoints to search for illegal weapons. A 1-5 vote was cast on the bill.

* Campaign Financing Reform: The Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee approved a bill (SB 588) by Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward) to impose strict contribution and spending limits on legislative candidates and authorize partial public campaign financing. A 4-1 vote sent the legislation to the Ways and Means Committee.

* Insurance Problems: The Insurance Committee approved a bill (SB 1778) by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) to establish a state insurance consumer advocate’s office to investigate public complaints against insurance companies, agents, and brokers. A 7-3 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee.

SENATE

Committee Action

Unlicensed Drivers: The Transportation Committee approved a bill (AB 3148) by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) to require unlicensed drivers to forfeit their vehicles when they are caught driving illegally by law enforcement officers. A 9-0 vote sent the bill to the Judiciary Committee.