The Latest: Double-pay on Thanksgiving bill advances | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Light Rain  8.2°C

The Latest: Double-pay on Thanksgiving bill advances

Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, urged lawmakers to approve his measure that would prohibit concessionaires from claiming ownership of a name associated with a California state park, Monday, Aug. 29, 2016, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Original Publication Date August 29, 2016 - 5:05 PM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Latest on action in the California Legislature (all times local):

6:50 p.m.

The California Senate is advancing legislation that would give employees of large companies double-time pay for working on Thanksgiving.

The proposal approved Monday comes as stores have begun opening earlier and earlier to accommodate shoppers ahead of Black Friday.

Lawmakers rejected the bill last year when it applied more broadly. It narrowly cleared the Assembly in January after Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego agreed to restrict the mandate to large retail businesses with more than 500 employees in California.

The Senate approved it in a 22-14 vote. AB67 returns to the Assembly, which must agree to changes made in the Senate.

___

6:40 p.m.

The California Senate is rejecting legislation to set a contribution limit for local elections in jurisdictions that don't have one.

Democratic Sen. Ben Allen of Santa Monica says the bill would have prevented corruption in local offices, some of them obscure.

Republican Sen. Joel Anderson of Alpine says the measure won't deter politicians who are determined to be unethical.

It fell two votes short of the two-thirds supermajority it needed Monday. Allen can try again to pass the bill before the Legislature adjourns on Wednesday.

AB2523 was written by Democratic Assemblyman Kevin Mullin of South San Francisco.

It would have set the limit for campaign contributions in local races at the same rate for state races, currently $4,200 per person. Local governments could still set their own cap.

___

6:10 p.m.

Lawmakers have approved a bill prohibiting vendors from claiming ownership of California state parks names following a dispute that led to renaming sites at Yosemite National Park.

The U.S. National Park Service renamed several Yosemite sites during a dispute with a former concessionaire. The Ahwahnee Hotel became the Majestic Yosemite Hotel and Curry Village became Half Dome Village, among others.

AB2249 would ensure that doesn't happen to a state park.

The bill would also disqualify future bids by a concessionaire that attempts a similar trademark claim on a state park or its historical, cultural or recreational resources.

The Assembly voted 76-0 Monday to send the measure to Gov. Jerry Brown.

Democratic Assemblyman Ken Cooley of Rancho Cordova says the bill protects California state parks for future generations.

___

5:30 p.m.

Prior salary alone wouldn't justify pay inequality under a measure approved by the California Legislature.

Democratic Assemblywoman Nora Campos of San Jose argues that changing jobs is often an opportunity for women to increase their pay. She says they should not be penalized by prior salaries that may have been unequal to men.

The Assembly approved Senate amendments on a 61-0 vote Monday, sending AB1676 to Gov. Jerry Brown. A similar bill, AB1017, was vetoed by Brown last year.

Supporters say the measure would create a less biased structure for salary negotiations, but some lawmakers question why the measure exempts legislative staff members. Republican Assemblywoman Sharon Grove of Bakersfield says it's a slap in the face to women in the Capitol.

Campos calls this measure a foundation for future improvements.

___

5:10 p.m.

Counties would be required to offer in-person visitation for jail inmates under legislation headed to Gov. Jerry Brown.

Democratic Sen. Holly Mitchell says her bill approved Monday would help reduce recidivism because inmates with strong connections to their families are less likely to commit new crimes.

SB1157 is a response to the rising popularity of video conferencing in place of in-person visitation.

Critics say the bill would make it easier to smuggle contraband into jails and would be costly for counties, some of which may have to hire additional jail employees or modify their facilities.

The measure was approved in a 29-6 vote.

___

4:50 p.m.

California Gov. Jerry Brown will decide whether to make sexually assaulting an unconscious or severely intoxicated person a crime that is ineligible for probation.

The measure is a response to former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner's six-month jail sentence for assaulting an unconscious woman. He is scheduled to be released this week.

The proposed legislation would prohibit probation in such cases, effectively requiring jail time for anyone convicted of rape or sexual assault of an unconscious or intoxicated person.

The Assembly approved Senate amendments on Monday, sending AB2888 to Brown on a 66-0 vote.

Democratic Assemblyman Bill Dodd of Napa says the bill clarifies that a victim cannot consent while unconscious or incapacitated by drugs, alcohol or medication. He says letting perpetrators off with little jail time further harms victims.

___

4:00 p.m.

California lawmakers are supporting an experiment with a new method of casting ballots.

Legislation sent to Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday would allow counties to send a ballot to every registered voter, then collect them by mail and at drop boxes. In lieu of neighbourhood polling places, counties that opt in would establish a smaller number of vote centres where people could cast ballots during the 10 days leading up to an election.

The proposal is modeled after a similar voting system in Colorado that is credited with helping to improve voter participation rates.

Eighteen counties would be able to use the new process for the 2018 election. The rest could take it up in 2020.

The Senate approved SB450 in a 26-11 vote, with most Republicans opposed.

News from © The Associated Press, 2016
The Associated Press

  • Popular kelowna News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile