Recently the LA Center for Economic Development released this report which, among other things, discusses the disconnect between the business and political classes in California. The authors suggest that state and local political leaders seem to be preoccupied with tangential, attention-grabbing issues, and fumble when it comes to fixing big problems, like lousy schools, mounting congestion, and unfriendly business climates. Two recently proposed bills seem to make the authors’ point:
Concerned that intense competition among nail salons has prompted some businesses to cut corners on health standards, state officials may require salons to post citations on their windows similar to restaurant letter grades. The rules, contained in a bill that has passed the Assembly and goes before the state Senate Appropriations Committee in the next week, come after three mycobacterial outbreaks at salons in Northern California infected more than 200 people over the last few years. Its author, Assemblyman Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), said the legislation was aimed at cracking down on salons that don’t follow state safety standards for manicure equipment. The bill would require more stringent rules for disinfecting those items and disposing of water from spas where customers soak their hands and feet.
Article here.
A bill banning Internet hunting, a practice the author called “pay-for-view slaughter,” was sent to the governor’s desk Monday by California lawmakers. The measure by Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Redondo Beach, was given final approval by the state Senate, which voted 27-5 to approve Assembly amendments to the bill. The bill would make it a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine to use the Internet to hunt animals. The measure also would ban businesses that offer Internet hunting and prohibit the importation of animals killed via the Internet.
Article here.