Assembly

Floor Action: Toilets: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 52-21 vote a bill (AB 2355) by Assemblyman William Filante (R-Greenbrae) to require the installation of ultralow flush toilets in all new commercial and residential buildings starting in 1991 for water conservation purposes. Ultralow flush toilets reduce water usage per toilet from 3.5 to 1.6 gallons per flush. Guns: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 70-0 vote a bill (AB 566) by Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) to impose longer prison terms for gun crimes and place new restrictions on gun sales. College Student Fees: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 47-23 vote a bill (AB 1276) by Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-Los Banos) to reduce the maximum allowable annual cap on University of California and state college student fee increases from 10% to 5%. Military Base Closures: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 59-3 vote a bill (AB 990) by Assemblyman Sam Farr (D-Carmel) to set up a state-local task force to investigate economic difficulties caused by the closure of federal military bases in California. Smoking: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 42-23 vote a bill (AB 2288) by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-San Diego) to prohibit employers from refusing to hire or promote workers because they are either smokers or nonsmokers. VDTs: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 41-32 vote a bill (AB 955) by Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to require video display terminals (VDTs) used in the workplace to meet certain design and ergonomical standards to ensure safe and healthful working conditions. Marriages: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 60-14 vote a bill (AB 2214) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-South San Francisco) that would require marriage license applicants to receive a fact sheet explaining basic marital rights and responsibilities. Information would include an explanation of community and separate property, credit card and financial obligations, and state laws regarding child and spousal support, domestic violence and spousal rape. Senate Floor Action: Driver’s Licenses: Passed and sent to the governor on a 34-0 vote a bill (SB 1002) by Sen. Bob Beverly (R-Manhattan Beach) that allows drivers to be prohibited from renewing their drivers’ licenses if they have failed to appear on a citation or pay a court-ordered fine for operating a vehicle with unsafe equipment, in violation of size, height or load restrictions, or with an open alcoholic beverage container inside the vehicle. Health Insurance: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 28-3 vote a bill (SB 1207) by Sen. Barry Keene (D-Benicia) to extend to small businesses a 25% tax credit for providing health insurance for employees under specified conditions.