Legislation California

When it comes to talking about Mexico and its economy, few can match an Orange County financial consultant with the decidedly Anglo name of Samuel Copeland Palmer IV. He knows the number of Mexicans who read comic books each week (85 million), as well as the availability of telephones (three for every 100 people).

A bill inspired by the murder of a local 7-year-old girl in a Nevada casino was signed into law Monday by Gov. Gray Davis. The legislation, authored by Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch), makes it a crime to witness the sexual assault of a minor without notifying police. The bill became known as the Sherrice Iverson Good Samaritan Law because it was inspired by the 1997 slaying of the girl at a casino in Primm, Nev.

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti and the father of murder victim Polly Klaas called on Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature on Thursday to put an alternative "three strikes and you're out" proposal on the Nov. 2 ballot. But Wilson, who in March signed legislation identical to the "three strikes" ballot initiative that has already qualified, promptly announced that he would veto any such bill.

Gov. Pete Wilson rode to the rescue of Caesar salad lovers Monday, signing legislation allowing restaurants to serve the salads with raw eggs in the dressing if the diner doesn't object. The bill, by Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), amends a statute that took effect this year and set minimum cooking standards for restaurant food.

Kindergarten is no longer child's play. By the end of their kindergarten year, California pupils are now expected to be able to locate a book's title, table of contents, author and illustrator. They are expected to be able to write about experiences and people, recognize when an estimate is reasonable and use information to make a graph.

Gov. Pete Wilson's long-standing desire to deny higher welfare payments to mothers who give birth while on aid has become one of the first casualties of his prolonged budget impasse with the Legislature. A new regulation called "the family cap," prohibiting poor mothers from collecting aid for any child born after they have been on welfare at least 10 months, had been scheduled to go into effect this Friday, but has been postponed indefinitely.

Assemblyman Frank Hill was a man in a hurry, his critics say, like a driver careening down the highway heading for calamity. Even his political allies concede that the 35-year-old Whittier Republican courted trouble by boasting of his ability to use choice committee assignments and his influence with the governor's office to raise money for legislative races. "He was cruising for a bruising," said a former Republican legislative aide. The crash came last Aug.

A state bill that would have exempted home-based writers, musicians and artists from paying city business taxes was set aside for more study, effectively killing it this legislative year. But Assembly Bill 2065 could be reintroduced as early as December, said an aide to Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar), who introduced the measure for the Writers Guild.

The bill to keep bubble gum cigarettes out of the hands of children had heavyweight backing. Supporters included the California Medical Assn., American Cancer Society, American Heart Assn., American Lung Assn., California Council on Alcohol Problems, League of California Cities and the California Children's Lobby. The sole organized opposition: the National Assn. of Chewing Gum Manufacturers. But the bill never got out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

What are 16 years of an innocent man's life worth? And if the state acted responsibly in convicting him, should taxpayers foot the bill anyway? Both questions were put to members of the Legislature last week--on behalf of former Tustin resident Kevin Lee Green--in the form of a bill apparently unprecedented in California. The measure seeks to give him $770,000.