SACRAMENTO -- Weighing in on immigrants' rights issues, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a law prohibiting cities from requiring landlords to ask the residency status of tenants, but on Thursday he vetoed a measure that would have allowed new citizens to register to vote on election day.
The governor signed 50 bills Thursday. He vetoed 27, including legislation that would have made it difficult for high school students with poor grades to get work permits and a bill that would have legalized industrial hemp production.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, October 13, 2007 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 48 words Type of Material: Correction
Vetoed bill: An article in Friday's California section misidentified a bill vetoed by the governor. The bill, which would have allowed new citizens to register to vote on election day, was SB 382 by state Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach), not AB 1151 by Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance).
The bill banning citizenship checks of tenants was written by Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Montebello) in response to actions by some cities aimed at identifying illegal immigrants. The governor signed it Wednesday.
The new law, AB 976, prohibits cities and counties from enacting ordinances that would require residential landlords to inquire about the immigration or citizenship status of any tenant or prospective tenant.
"Cities do not have the authority to form their own foreign policy," Calderon said.
"Local ordinances like the one adopted by the city of Escondido place landlords under serious liability whether they comply with the ordinance or fail to comply with the ordinance.
"Landlords do not want to be immigration officers; they simply want to make a living," Calderon said.
Schwarzenegger, an immigrant from Austria, cited security concerns in vetoing a separate bill that would have allowed new citizens to register to vote on election day if their naturalization ceremonies were held fewer than seven days before an election. AB 1151 was written by Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance).
"Allowing any group of people, regardless of the size of the group, to register and vote on the same day poses both logistical and security concerns," the governor wrote.
He added that voter registration deadlines are in place to allow elections officials a reasonable opportunity to verify qualifications.
The governor also vetoed the bill restricting work permits, which was the idea of state Sen. Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) as one way to reduce the school dropout rate.
State law allows specified school officials to issue permits to pupils 13 to 17 years old so they can work during non-school hours.
The bill would have prevented students from getting work permits unless they maintained at least a 2.0, or C, grade-point average and an attendance rate of at least 80%.
