Committee Action

Governor Told 2,000 seniors attending the Governor's Conference on Aging that he "will not rest" until the elderly can walk the streets of California without fear from criminals. Also told reporters later that he hopes Congress won't have to cut benefits to Social Security recipients.

Los Angeles City Council members traded sharp words Wednesday over an issue close to home--the slow elevators in City Hall's new temporary offices on Main Street. The debate began on a light note but grew fractious after City Councilwoman Laura Chick proposed speeding things up by opening a controversial "official-use only" elevator to the public. "To me, symbols are very powerful, and this from the beginning felt elitist," Chick said.

Will attend a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, a consular corps reception, and an Armenian Martyrs' Day commemorative event in San Diego on Monday. Assembly Floor Action: False IDs: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 67-1 vote a bill (AB 165) by Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Hawthorne) to increase the punishment for a person under 21 years of age using false identification to purchase alcohol from a $200 fine to a $250 fine plus 24 to 32 hours of community service. Super Agencies: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 42-30 vote a bill (AB 136)

As one of the first major record labels to embrace cyberspace--by releasing an Aerosmith song online in 1994 and securing an Internet domain name that same year--Geffen Records believed the Web held much promise for its artists. But four years later, after discovering dozens of Web sites offering hundreds of songs by Geffen artists for free downloading, the company has joined an industry movement to bolster copyright protection for artists in the digital age.

Committee Action: Pap Smears: The Health Committee approved a bill (AB 32) by Assemblywoman Sally Tanner (D-Baldwin Park) to regulate the cervical cancer screening (Pap smear) industry. A 13-2 vote sent the bill to the Ways and Means Committee. The governor vetoed a similar bill last year. College Scholarships: The Education Committee approved a bill (AB 400) by Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) to set up a $2-million college scholarship program for high school students who contribute their time as community service volunteers.

Trauma: The Ways and Means Committee approved a bill (AB 1750) by Assembly Majority Floor Leader Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) to restore $9.9 million in emergency funding for Los Angeles County trauma centers that was vetoed out of the 1987-88 state budget by Gov. George Deukmejian. A 12-5 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor.

As one of the first major record labels to embrace cyberspace--by releasing an Aerosmith song online in 1994 and securing an Internet domain name that same year--Geffen Records believed the Web held much promise for its artists. But four years later, after discovering dozens of Web sites offering hundreds of songs by Geffen artists for free downloading, the company has joined an industry movement to bolster copyright protection for artists in the digital age.

They came. They saw. They tabled. And so it went for the 23 members of the NCAA-appointed Special Committee, who left here Friday shrugging their shoulders about the future of a Division I-A football playoff. Rather than actually vote on the merits of a championship system, the committee decided the best action was no action. In short, a stalemate.

Moving closer to a showdown with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, a legislative committee on Tuesday approved an overhaul of the California automobile Smog Check program that falls short of federal demands. The action occurred only four days after the sudden collapse of talks between California and federal officials aimed at devising a compromise that would enable California to comply with U.S. clean air standards and avert a threatened loss of federal transportation funds.

In a surprise vote, the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved Gov. Pete Wilson's appointment of two Southern California businessmen to 12-year terms as regents of the University of California. Gerald L. Parsky and Peter Preuss, both substantial Republican campaign contributors, won endorsement from the Democrat-dominated committee. Such approval usually is tantamount to confirmation by the full Senate.

They came. They saw. They tabled. And so it went for the 23 members of the NCAA-appointed Special Committee, who left here Friday shrugging their shoulders about the future of a Division I-A football playoff. Rather than actually vote on the merits of a championship system, the committee decided the best action was no action. In short, a stalemate.

Moving closer to a showdown with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, a legislative committee on Tuesday approved an overhaul of the California automobile Smog Check program that falls short of federal demands. The action occurred only four days after the sudden collapse of talks between California and federal officials aimed at devising a compromise that would enable California to comply with U.S. clean air standards and avert a threatened loss of federal transportation funds.

A proposal by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Joy Picus to scrap the Planning Commission in favor of four separate commissions, including one for the San Fernando Valley, would be too costly and Balkanize the city, according to a report released Tuesday. The report by city Planning Director Conn Howe was prepared in response to a proposal Picus forwarded in March soon after her efforts to reduce growth at Warner Center had been rebuffed by the city's five-member Planning Commission.

Democrats on a Senate-Assembly conference committee, brushing aside Republican objections, cut $121.8 million in bond funds for the downtown Los Angeles prison and shaved 900 prison guard slots from the state system in budget deliberations Friday. Both cuts in the Department of Corrections share of the budget could be overturned as work continues on a $56-billion state spending plan for the 1990-91 fiscal year.

Floor Action: Animal Testing: Rejected on a 29-36 vote a bill (AB 2461) by Assemblyman Jack O'Connell (D-Carpinteria) to prohibit the use of animals for testing household products and cosmetics. Reconsideration granted. Committee Action: Auto Body Parts: The Ways and Means Committee approved a bill (AB 1120) by Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-Los Banos) to require auto body shops to disclose the type of parts that will be used to repair damaged motor vehicles to prevent consumers from being gouged.

Appointed his legal affairs secretary, Vance W. Raye of Sacramento, 43, to a Sacramento Superior Court judgeship. The judicial post pays $84,765 a year. At the same time, he appointed Houston T. Carlyle Jr. of Sacramento, 41, to become his legal affairs secretary. That job pays $81,635 yearly. A Republican, Carlyle formerly served as the governor's liaison with local government. Assembly Floor Action: Bill Limits: Approved on 53-18 and 55-16 votes a pair of resolutions (ACR 1 and ACR 2)