California’s Children Still Only Have Two Parents

Among Gov. Jerry Brown’s vetoes during September was a bill that would have allowed California children to have more than two legal parents. 

Backers of the bill – SB 1476 by Sen. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat – said it fixed a quirk in the law that prevents a previous custodial or biological parent from taking care of a child if the two current parents are incapable.    Read more »

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Jerry Brown Not Saying “No” To New Laws As Much as Other Modern Governors

Among the many useful activities conducted on behalf of the people of California by the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance is its annual report, How Often Do Governors Say No?

Some more than others is the short answer.

Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a lower percentage of bills in 2012 – 12 percent — than the 14 percent he vetoed in 2011, the committee determined.    Read more »

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No More Counseling for Minors Aimed at Changing Them From Homosexual to Heterosexual

California is the first state in the nation to ban minors from receiving what’s known as conversion or reparative therapy, which is aimed at converting homosexuals to heterosexuals.

The bill — SB 1172 by Sen. Ted Lieu, a Torrance Democrat — received plenty of media attention after President Obama’s statement in May that same-sex couples should be able to marry.    Read more »

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Gov. Brown Nips Absentee Florists in the Bud

It will be harder for florists to misrepresent the location of their business under legislation signed September 27 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Four previous bills in 13 years had attempted to prevent call centers, potentially located hundreds or thousands of miles away, from using a local city or neighborhood in their name and duping consumers into believing they are patronizing a “local” florist.    Read more »

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Employers Prohibited from Demanding Access to Social Media Pages of Job Applicants and Employees

Employers can’t demand user names or passwords to access the social media of employees or job applicants under legislation signed September 27 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The measure is a rare area of agreement for labor unions and employers winning support from the California Labor Federation and the California Chamber of Commerce, which saw the bill as clarifying a murky aspect of employee law.    Read more »

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Historical State Capitol Commission Now Responsible for the Whole Capitol

The Historic State Capitol Commission now officially has purview over the Capitol’s East Annex and the park surround ding the Capitol under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Previously, the commission, created in 1981, was charged with reviewing restoration and maintenance of the original Capitol building completed in 1874.

The measure clarifies that the commission is re4sponsible for advising the state on policies relating to the entire Capitol building and its grounds bound by 10th, L, 15th and N Streets.    Read more »

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Saving Water at the Car Wash Now the Law

Starting January 1, 2014, new commercial car washes must either reuse at least 60 percent of their wash and rinse water or to use at least 60 percent recycled water to wash and rinse vehicles under legislation signed September 25 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

California law already requires urban per capita water use be reduced 20 percent by the end of 2020.    Read more »

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Gov. Brown Signs Bill Limiting Liability for Commercial Spaceflight Companies

The nascent commercial space industry now has protection from lawsuits if they warn passengers that space flight is inherently dangerous under a new law signed September 21 by Gov. Jerry Brown. 

Supporters, like Virgin Galactic and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, say that reasonable liability protections will help grow their industry. Brown agreed.    Read more »

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“Governor Brown Signs Workers’ Compensation Reform to Cut Hundreds of Millions in Waste, Protect Injured Workers and Reduce Costs to Business”

That’s the claim made in the headline of a press release issued by the Democratic governor September 18. The first three paragraphs follow:

SAN DIEGO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed landmark legislation – backed by both Democrats and Republicans – to reduce costs to businesses and protect workers by cutting out hundreds of millions of dollars in waste from California’s workers’ compensation system.     Read more »

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Rendering Unto Renderers What Should Be Renderers’…

California renderers and collection centers must keep scrupulous records of transactions involving kitchen grease or face higher penalties under a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The same foul, food-flecked yuck restaurants pour into special dumpsters and hire haulers to dispose of is now so high-priced, haulers pay restaurants for the privilege of collecting it.    Read more »

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