"It accomplishes traffic congestion relief, air quality improvement and economic development," Ridley-Thomas said Monday.
The governor has also signed a measure that could smooth the way for East Los Angeles and Rowland Heights to pursue cityhood. It deletes a July 2009 deadline for communities to complete incorporation in order to receive funding for costs associated with forming new cities.
"Communities across California have invested a lot of time and resources into forming new cities or annexing land to accommodate growth," said Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles), author of the legislation. "SB 301 will provide a stable funding source so these cities can succeed."
The governor wielded his veto pen against a measure that would have eliminated references in state law to communism as cause for dismissal of school, community college and other public employees.
"Many Californians have fled Communist regimes, immigrated to the United States and sought freedom in our nation because of the human rights abuses perpetuated in other parts of the world," Schwarzenegger said in his veto message. "It is important particularly for those people that California maintains the protections of current law.
"Therefore," his message said, "I see no compelling reason to change the law that maintains our responsibility to ensure that public resources are not used for purposes of overthrowing the U.S. or state government, or for communist activities."
The bill, SB 1322, was written by Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), who could not be reached for comment.
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patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com
