California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoes two bills in a last-minute signing of more than 750 pieces of legislature approved by California lawmakers.
The two bills were introduced in response to the City of Bell’s pay scandal. They included measures to bar employment contracts with automatic pay increases written into them as well as legislation aimed at capping pensions. The bill included measures to cap the amount of salary used to determine pensions in public retirement benefits. Schwarzenegger, who does not accept his $173,987 salary as governor, said that the legislature did not address the real costs and issues at stake.
The Governor vetoed a second set of bills aimed at stopping pension spiking. In the same late-night sitting, Schwarzenegger signed off on bills making thousands of children have to wait longer before starting kindergarten, amidst concerns that children are starting before they are really capable of doing the work. Under the new bill, children must have turned 5 by November of next year if they want to start school in 2012.
Schwarzenegger also signed off on measures enabling California to participate in the slew of federal healthcare reforms. Included in the package of bills was the creation of a California Health Benefit Exchange, which will assist individuals and businesses shop for appropriate health insurance.
A separate bill was also signed to prohibit the setting up of medical marijuana stores within 600 feet of schools and to provide free drinking water in schools. Tough new measures against paparazzi who ‘cross the line’ in pursuit of photographs was also signed into law by the Governor.
