In the News

KPCC SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO: California senators pass 'swatting' bill increasing fines for prank callers

May 10, 2013

By Ashley Bailey

The California State Senate voted unanimously Thursday to pass a bill that hikes the fines a person would have to pay for making a false 9-1-1 call.

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Senate endorses crack down on ‘swatting’

LOS ANGELES TIMES: California Senate approves anti-'swatting' bill

May 09, 2013

By Patrick McGreevy

SACRAMENTO -- Alarmed by a growing number of hoax 911 calls known as “swatting,” the California Senate approved a measure Thursday that would significantly increase the financial penalty for those convicted of making false reports.

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Senate endorses crack down on ‘swatting’

NBC-TV 7 SAN DIEGO: Most Districts Don't Review School Drill Documentation

May 07, 2013

By By Wendy Fry and Rory Devine
District officials with more than half of the 42 school districts in San Diego County said they do not collect and review official school safety drill reports from their individual school sites.

And by law, they don’t have to review them.

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Plan mandating improvements to school safety preparedness passes first policy committee

LOS ANGELES TIMES: California Senate acts on pay phone rates

May 07, 2013
By Patrick McGreevy

SACRAMENTO -- The state Senate acted Monday on bills aimed at protecting pay phone users against high charges and reducing robberies of pharmacies.

The Senate approved SB 50, which requires California pay phones to have signs warning those using credit or debit cards of the total costs, and allow for fines of up to $50,000 for violations.

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Senate dials up better protections for payphone users, travelers and troops under consumer-disclosure bill

EVERYDAY HEALTH: FDA Proposes Cancer Warnings on Tanning Beds

May 06, 2013

A new FDA proposal would require all tanning beds to carry a warning label indicating they increase the risk of skin cancer, and that they are dangerous for kids under 18.

By Amir Khan, Everyday Health Staff Writer
 

MONDAY, May 6, 2013 — A new FDA proposal would require warnings on all tanning beds indicating that they are dangerous for children under the age of 18 because of their cancer risk.

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Gov. Brown signs Sen. Ted Lieu bill banning teens under 18 from using cancer-causing tanning beds

SANTA ROSA PRESS-DEMOCRAT: Move to dump retroactive state business tax passes 1st hurdle

May 02, 2013

By ROBERT DIGITALE

Legislation that would rescind a retroactive state tax on business owners passed its first test Wednesday in Sacramento.

The state Senate Governance and Finance Committee voted 6-1 to approve SB 209, which would reverse a Franchise Tax Board ruling that affects up to 2,500 business owners.

The owners claimed a tax exemption for the sale of small businesses within the past five years. Late last year the tax board retroactively ended the exemption after losing an appellate court lawsuit.

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Bill to shine increased light on campaign financing passes first policy test

SACRAMENTO BEE: California Senate committee OKs bill to block retroactive taxes

May 02, 2013
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Legislation that would protect thousands of Californians from paying retroactive income taxes on their sales of business investments won initial committee approval Wednesday.

The Senate Governance and Finance Committee approved the legislation, Senate Bill 209, by a 6-1 margin with the committee chair, Davis Democrat Lois Wolk, casting the lone "no" vote.

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Senate’s government-policy panel OKs helping ‘job creators’ by rescinding state’s retroactive tax