SACRAMENTO -- Acting on the last batch of bills from what experts called a disappointing regular legislative year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday signed into law a controversial increase in motorists' fees that is intended to raise millions to develop alternative fuel and clean-air technology.
Consumer advocates condemned the bill for putting the costs on the backs of motorists rather than oil companies.
Schwarzenegger also signed what became known as the "toxic toys" bill, which makes California the first state to prohibit the use of chemical compounds called phthalates in products designed for children under 3 years old.
Making his way through the final 153 bills, the governor vetoed legislation proposed by state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) that would have allocated $611 million to work on solving the state's water problems.
Schwarzenegger also vetoed a bill allowing the distribution of condoms to inmates in all state prisons, but said he would allow a pilot program at one lockup to see if it helps reduce the spread of HIV.
He also signed a widely criticized measure allowing the owners of Staples Center in Los Angeles to access millions of state dollars earmarked for affordable housing-related programs in order to improve streets near the sports facility.
The governor's last signatures before Sunday's midnight deadline provided an anticlimactic end to a rather fallow year for the executive and the Legislature, some political observers said.
"It was a not particularly productive year," said Raphael J. Sonenshein, a political scientist at Cal State Fullerton.
He noted that the Republican governor and the Legislature have failed so far to reach agreement on what the leaders agreed were the two most pressing matters: healthcare reform and a comprehensive plan to upgrade the state's over-stressed water system.
The governor has called a special session on both matters, but no consensus has been reached.
Indeed, one of the governor's last actions Sunday was to veto SB 1002, which sought to address part of the water system problems by providing $611 million in bond money to fund water- related projects, particularly in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Perata called the bill vital to starting to address the water issue.
