GovernorAnnounced that 30 members of the Keidanren,...

Governor

Announced that 30 members of the Keidanren, Japan’s most influential business group, will visit California next month to identify potential investment opportunities. The governor went to Japan in late January to open a state trade office in Tokyo. Assembly Floor Action:

Marijuana Tax: Rejected on a 12-43 vote a bill (AB 44) by Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Alhambra) to require marijuana dealers to pay a state tax on marijuana found in their possession. Calderon said the bill would provide another way to prosecute drug peddlers who did not pay the tax. Opponents replied that it implied a legalization of marijuana and would make the Legislature the butt of jokes.

Teen-age Health Hot Line: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 41-33 vote a bill (AB 2255) by Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) to set up a pilot project to provide a telephone hot line targeted at teen-agers to answer questions about health care problems.

AIDS: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 54-17 vote a bill (AB 2650) by Speaker Pro Tem Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) to provide free, confidential AIDS tests for students at state-supported universities and colleges.

Voter Registration: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 42-35 vote a bill (AB 899) by Assemblyman Tom Bates (D-Oakland) to let Californians register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver’s license or vehicle registration.

Trains: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 46-33 vote a bill (AB 971) by Assemblyman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) to set up a study group to look into ways to improve train service between Los Angeles, San Francisco and the San Joaquin Valley.

Peace Day: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 44-23 vote a bill (AB 1356) by Assemblyman John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara) to require the governor to annually proclaim the third Sunday of May as “Peace Day” for “promotion and recognition of the peaceful resolution of conflict through mutual understanding and good will.” Committee Action:

Legislative Pay: The Assembly Ways and Means Committee approved a bill (AB 2676) by Assemblyman Tom Bane (D-Tarzana) to increase state legislative salaries by 10%--from $37,105 to $40,816--starting in late 1988. A 15-4 vote sent the bill to the Assembly floor. Senate Floor Action:

Air Pollution: Passed and sent to the Assembly on a 35-0 vote a bill (SB 343) by Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) to require the South Coast Air Quality Management District to establish a clean fuels program to promote the voluntary use of methanol, natural gas, electricity and other clean-burning fuels.

Mountain Lions: Rejected on a 20-16 vote a bill (SB 1687) by Sen. Nicholas C. Petris (D-Oakland) to prohibit the use of dogs to hunt mountain lions. A two-thirds majority of the membership, or 27 votes, was required for passage. An amendment was made to require only 21 votes and reconsideration was granted. Miscellany

Joke of the Day: When Russian emigre comedian Yakov Smirnoff visited the Assembly on Wednesday, he was asked what he liked about America that was different from the Soviet Union. “Warning shots,” Smirnoff replied.