INFANT DIES AFTER BEING LEFT IN SUV: LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 5-month-old boy died after being left in an SUV parked outside the family's Southern California home, and authorities say the boy's father might have forgotten about him.
The man drove home Monday with his son but left the infant in the vehicle when he went inside the house in Carson.
The father later left the house but took a different car. He called police in a panic when he realized where the boy was.
Deputies rushed to the family home and tried to save the infant, but it was too late. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.
BILL WOULD REQUIRE SAFETY FEATURES IN CALIF. LIMOS: SACRAMENTO (AP) — Limousines that operate in California would be required to have emergency exits under legislation approved by the state Assembly in the wake of several limousine fire deaths.
Democratic Sen. Ellen Corbett of San Leandro drafted the bill after two limousine fires in the San Francisco Bay Area earlier this year. In one, five passengers became trapped in a limo and died in a fire on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge.
Under SB109, limousines that carry fewer than 10 passengers would be required to have two push-out windows and two rear doors. Drivers also would need to instruct passengers about the vehicle's safety features at the beginning of a trip, starting in January 2016.
The bill passed the Assembly Tuesday on a 44-26 vote and returns to the Senate.
LAWMAKERS APPROVE BILLS ON GUN STORAGE, OWNERSHIP: SACRAMENTO (AP) — California lawmakers are sending Gov. Jerry Brown several bills that would tighten the rules for gun ownership, including new storage and education requirements and adding limits for people with mental health issues.
AB500, which passed the Assembly, would require gun owners to safely store weapons when they live with someone who cannot own a weapon because of mental illness or a criminal record.
The Assembly also gave final approval Tuesday to AB1131, which would prevent people who convey a serious threat of violence to a licensed therapist from owning a gun for five years.
Senators passed SB683, which extends safety certificate and safe handling requirements to include rifles and shotguns. They also approved SB299, requiring firearm owners to report lost or stolen weapons within seven days.
BILL TO BAN LEAD BULLETS HEADS TO GOVERNOR'S DESK: SACRAMENTO (AP) — A bill that would make California the first state in the nation to ban lead bullets for all types of hunting is headed to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk.
The Assembly approved AB711 by Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Rendon of Lakewood on Tuesday.
Proponents of the bill say the ban will protect condors and other wildlife that feed on gut piles left behind by hunters. They also say humans are at risk when they eat meat that has been shot with lead bullets.
Opponents see the proposed law as a first step toward banning hunting in the Golden State. They say that because copper bullets are technically armor piercing, federal officials could move to eliminate their sale.
NONPROFIT GIVES SOLAR PANELS TO INNER-CITY HOMES: RICHMOND (AP) — Eight low-income families in the San Francisco Bay Area got a ray of sunshine over the weekend when they received free rooftop solar systems.
The installations in inner-city Richmond were part of the eighth annual Bay Area Solarthon, organized by the non-profit Grid Alternatives.
The installers say each family's electric bill is expected to drop 75 percent, saving $148,000 over the 30-year lifetime of the systems.
The newspaper says eight panels installed on one home's roof retail for about $10,000 total.
Grid Alternatives has installed 124 solar systems in Richmond since 2007.
The organization says its Solarthon intends to help the environment and to help families in economically depressed neighborhoods build wealth.
BILL WOULD KEEP CALIFORNIA IN LAKE TAHOE COMPACT : SACRAMENTO (AP) — The California Senate is sending Gov. Jerry Brown a bill to preserve a 45-year-old agreement with Nevada governing the sensitive environment in and around Lake Tahoe.
The scenic lake straddles the California-Nevada state line in the high Sierra and is a major tourist draw.
SB630 ratifies a revised bistate Tahoe Regional Planning Compact, duplicating a bill already signed into law by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.
Nevada had threatened to withdraw from the compact in 2010 in a dispute over how the states decided on conservation protection.
State officials reached a compromise to amend the compact to require that the agency that enforces the compact takes economic considerations into account. In return, Nevada agreed to remain in the compact.
BILL PROTECTS IMMIGRANTS FROM EMPLOYER RETALIATION: SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown will consider a bill that would make it illegal for employers to report workers to immigration authorities as retaliation for complaining about their working conditions.
SB666 by Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento would let the state suspend or revoke an employer's business license if they attempt to have workers deported for complaining about conditions. They could be fined up to $10,000 per violation.
Republican Sen. Joel Anderson of Alpine objected that other state laws already protect workers no matter their status. Workers can complain to state authorities if they are underpaid or experience unsafe work conditions.
BILL AIMS TO LIMIT ABUSES OF CHEMICAL WARNING LAW: SACRAMENTO (AP) — State lawmakers are attempting to limit abuses of Proposition 65, the landmark voter-approved measure that warns consumers when chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive problems are present in a business.
A bill approved Tuesday, AB227, would give business owners 14 days to correct certain notice violations and pay legal penalties up to $500.
Democratic Sen. Ted Lieu of Torrance says the bill he carried in the Senate is designed to deter attorneys who threaten to sue business owners for violations in hopes of arranging a settlement.
He says "it shouldn't cost $20,000 to put up a $20 sign."
The Senate unanimously approved the measure, sending the bill back to the Assembly.
Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, has made reforming Proposition 65 a goal this year.
