November 12, 2012, 11:25 AM
Local Goodwill chapters recently lost their fight for stronger state regulation of donation boxes when Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation that would have required organizations to get written consent before putting boxes on private property. But in cities and counties across the country...
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September 27, 2012, 12:05 AM
California’s private vocational schools must disclose critical details about the quality of their programs, including their accreditation status and graduation rates, under a bill signed yesterday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, will require vocational schools...
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August 31, 2012, 12:05 AM
California redevelopment funding may not be dead after all. Four bills that would expand cities’ and counties’ ability to divert property taxes for local development projects have made it to the final sprint of the state legislative session, which ends today at midnight, ...
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August 30, 2012, 12:05 AM
California’s private vocational schools will be required to publicly disclose more key information – including accreditation status, job placement rates and graduation rates – under a new bill the Legislature passed this week. The bill, authored by Assemblyman Marty Block, D-...
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August 16, 2012, 12:05 AM
A state Assembly committee will decide today the fate of legislation seeking to improve the seismic safety of public schools. The legislation by Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, would require a panel of independent experts to assess internal reforms made at the Division of...
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August 6, 2012, 12:05 AM
Amid reports of some nonprofits mismanaging charitable donations, the state Legislature is considering a bill that would increase the authority of the state attorney general’s office to crack down on organizations that violate the law. The bill, AB 2327, by Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-West...
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August 6, 2012, 12:05 AM
A little-known commission could be empowered to provide more oversight of the California Department of Parks and Recreation after an investigation revealed the department sat on a multimillion-dollar budget surplus for years. This week, state Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, plans to...
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July 11, 2012, 12:05 AM
Proposed legislation in California would increase penalties for illegally owning and operating medical spas, which in some cases are performing procedures without required medical supervision. Medical spas provide services such as laser hair removal, Botox injections and microdermabrasion...
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January 4, 2012, 12:05 AM
A new California law that prohibits the carrying of an unloaded handgun in public already is under legal attack. Charles Nichols, who has set up an advocay group in Redondo Beach, filed a lawsuit late last year in federal court against the state seeking to overturn restrictions on where he can...
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September 13, 2011, 12:05 AM
Of the more than 57,000 Tongans in the United States, 40 percent – nearly 23,000 – live in California. But you won't find them identified in California data: The state does not require agencies to count them. Under a bill awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown's approval, Tongans would...
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September 8, 2011, 6:00 PM
Lawmakers narrowly passed a heavily lobbied bill today that would prohibit employers from using credit reports to evaluate prospective employees in most circumstances. AB 22, which passed the Senate 21-17 on a largely party-line vote, was one of the most-lobbied bills of the term, according to...
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July 28, 2011, 12:05 AM
The current moratorium on suction dredging in California's rivers and streams was extended another five years Tuesday, when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that prohibits the controversial gold mining technique through June 2016. Environmentalists called the bill – AB 120 – a...
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June 22, 2011, 12:05 AM
A bill that recently sailed through the Senate would shift the policymaking powers of the State Board of Education to the superintendent of public instruction and the state's Department of Education. Sponsored by Sen. Carol Liu, D-Pasadena, SB 204 seeks to untangle what has been a complex...
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May 25, 2011, 12:05 AM
State legislators voted in support of two bills in the past week to curb cockfighting, an ancient blood sport animal rights advocates say is thriving in California because current laws aren’t tough enough. “The type of elements that this activity draws is dangerous to the community...
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May 9, 2011, 12:05 AM
A lack of data on specific Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups is masking major health, socioeconomic and education disparities in California. A bill by Assemblyman Mike Eng seeks to address those disparities by including more ethnic groups in state data. AB 1088, which...
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