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This Week Inside the Capitol

 

September 20, 2011

Not Every Problem Needs a Law


by Rebecca Burgoyne, 
CFC Research Analyst

Gov. Jerry Brown is facing nearly 600 bills that the Legislature dumped on his desk before it left town earlier this month. Saying, “Not every human problem needs a law,” Brown warned legislators to expect a lot of vetoes. As he works his way through the pile of bills, the governor – who has shown a penchant for the unpredictable – must balance the expectations of members of his own party and special interests who support him, and the public-at-large, which he hopes to convince to raise taxes next year. 

With Democrats firmly in control of the Legislature, the list of bills on the governor’s desk reads like a list of favors pandering to special interests. Equality California, a pro-homosexual advocacy group, boasted passage of “the most comprehensive legislative agenda in the organization’s history.” Three of the 12 key bills they sponsored have already been signed into law. 

Should Brown follow through on his veto promise, it will be a distinct difference from his previous terms in office, when he vetoed fewer than five percent of regular session bills. He would have to veto 25% of the bills to match former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s average. 

New laws usually do not go into effect until January 1 of the following year. A bill that affects public peace, health, or safety can contain an urgency clause, which requires a two-thirds vote for passage. The measure, then, goes into effect immediately after enactment. AB 768 (Gatto, D-Burbank), which restricts local ordinances from prohibiting male circumcision or the parental authority to have a child circumcised, was passed with an urgency clause; so, in response to an attempt to outlaw circumcision in San Francisco, if AB 768 is signed by the governor, it would become law immediately.

With less than three weeks to go before the governor’s signing deadline, you can contact the governor or find more information about any of the bills on his desk tracked by California Family Council, using our convenient online legislative action center. (On the site, page down to 2011-12 Bills Signed by the Governor.) 

On the Governor’s Desk:
AB 9 (Ammiano, D-San Francisco) Pupil Rights: Bullying
Passed Assembly 52-26
Passed Senate 24-14; Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 53-26; to governor

AB 90 (Swanson, D-Oakland) Human Trafficking: Minors
Passed Assembly floor 79-0
Passed Senate 36-0; Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 79-0; to governor

AB 203 (Brownley, D-Woodland Hills) Parent Empowerment: School Intervention
Passed Assembly 53-26
Passed Senate 24-13; Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 53-26; to governor

AB 433 (B. Lowenthal, D-Long Beach) Transgender Birth Certificates
Passed Assembly 52-22
Passed Senate 23-13; to Assembly for concurrence in Senate amendments
Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 51-26; to governor

AB 499 (Atkins, D-San Diego) Minors: Medical Care: Consent
Passed Assembly 50-25
Passed Senate 22-17; to governor

AB 620 (Block, D-San Diego) GLBT Rights: Postsecondary Education
Passed Assembly 51-24
Passed Senate 23-15; Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 51-26; to governor

AB 673 (Perez, D-Los Angeles) Office of Multicultural Health: LGBT Communities
Passed Assembly 49-24
Passed Senate 23-14; Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 51-26; to governor

AB 768 (Gatto, D-Burbank) Male Circumcision
Passed Assembly 75-0
Passed Senate 37-0; to Assembly for concurrence in Senate amendments
Passed Assembly 78-0; to governor

AB 887 (Atkins, D-San Diego) Gender
Passed Assembly 54-24
Passed Senate floor 25-13; Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 51-25; to governor

AB 1156 (Eng, D-El Monte) Pupils: Bullying
Passed Assembly 50-27
Passed Senate; Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 52-27; to governor

SB 182 (Corbett, D-San Leandro) Judiciary Demographic Data
Passed Senate floor 23-14
Passed Assembly 52-25; Senate concurred in Assembly amendments 23-15; to governor

SB 381 (Pavley, D-Santa Monica) School Attendance: Residency Requirements
Passed Senate 37-0
Passed Assembly 77-0; to governor

SB 416 (Kehoe, D-San Diego) Health: Survey: Gender
Passed Senate 25-14
Passed Assembly 53-26; Senate concurred in Assembly amendments 25-15; to governor

SB 651 (Leno, D-San Francisco) Domestic Partnerships
Passed Senate 24-15
Passed Assembly 52-26; Senate concurred in Assembly amendments 25-15; to governor

SB 747 (Kehoe, D-San Diego) LGBT Sensitivity Training for Health Care Providers
Passed Senate 25-12
Passed Assembly 47-26; to governor

SB 757 (Lieu, D-Redondo Beach) Heath Insurance: Discrimination
Passed Senate 25-13
Passed Assembly 50-24; to governor

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