Assembly OKs Commission to Regulate Card Room Gambling

Despite the opposition of Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco), the Assembly has approved a bill to establish a state commission to regulate card room gambling in California.

The commission would license card rooms and the attorney general would be given the power to conduct background checks on people who wish to enter the field as proprietors.

A 48-10 vote was cast on the bill (AB 2803), sponsored by Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento). The measure still has to be approved by the Senate.

Isenberg said $7.5 billion was wagered in card rooms throughout the state last year, adding that such an amount of money could attract organized crime.

Brown argued that the legislation was unnecessary and would make Republican Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren “the gambling czar of California.”

Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco), a close Brown ally, temporarily prevented the measure from moving to the Senate by serving notice that he would seek reconsideration of the vote.

GOVERNOR

Bills Signed

* Missing Children: AB 2333 by Assemblyman Bill Morrow (R-Oceanside) to require telephone, gas and electric companies to quickly provide law enforcement officials with limited customer information to help find missing or kidnaped children.

ASSEMBLY

Floor Action

* Domestic Violence: Passed and sent to the governor on a 73-0 vote a bill (SB 1827) by Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward) to allow prosecutors to refile misdemeanor domestic violence cases that have been dismissed because the victim failed to appear in court.

* School Bonds: Rejected on a 44-30 vote a constitutional amendment (SCA 20) by Sen. Newton Russell (R-Glendale) to allow local school bonds to be approved by a 60% vote instead of a two-thirds majority vote. Fifty-four yes votes were required for approval. Reconsideration requested.

SENATE

Floor Action

* Assault Weapons: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 21-14 vote a bill (SB 46X) by Sen. David A. Roberti (D-Van Nuys) expanding the 1989 state law restricting assault weapons to cover copycat models now being manufactured to get around the law.

* Judicial Performance: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 39-0 vote a constitutional amendment (SCA 44) by Sen. Alfred Alquist (D-Santa Clara) to revise the membership, structure and duties of the state Commission on Judicial Performance.

* Blood Tests: Passed and sent to the governor on a 21-15 vote a bill (AB 3128) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-Burlingame) to eliminate the requirement that a blood test for syphilis and rubella must be taken to obtain a marriage license.

Committee Action

* Juvenile Prison Sentences: The Judiciary Committee approved a bill (SB 23X) by Sen. Bill Leonard (R-Big Bear) to require juveniles who are tried and convicted in adult courts to be sent to state prison instead of the California Youth Authority. A 9-1 vote sent the bill to the Appropriations Committee.

* High School Tests: The Education Committee rejected a bill (AB 1776) by Assemblyman Ray Haynes (R-Murrieta) to require the teaching and testing of high school students on the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. A 4-2 vote was cast against the bill.