Demi Moore apparently has friends in high places - one of them being Sacramento. A state lawmaker perturbed by the publicly released 9-1-1 call involving Moore has made it her mission to make sure law enforcement agencies cannot legally release private information from emergency calls. more ›

On January 18, some of biggest websites on the internet will be going dark to send a message to its users: This is a test. This is only a test. The real emergency, these websites say, would be if the Stop Online Piracy Act (known as SOPA) gets signed into law. more ›

Among the slew of legislation recently signed by Governor Jerry Brown, the newly signed Assembly Bills (AB) 1156 and 9 mark milestones in combating the bullying epidemic. AB 1156 requires school site personnel to receive training in bullying prevention plus grants bullying victims priority for transferring out of a school, if requested. AB 9, also known as Seth's Law, was led by principal author Assemblymember Mariko Yamada and requires schools to address and act on bullying. more ›

Governor Brown lived up to his no-nonsense governance approach Tuesday morning outside of the L.A. Convention Center. He penned his signature on two bills designed to expedite construction projects throughout California, one being the $1.2 billion Downtown L.A. NFL stadium, a little project proposed by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). more ›

L.A.'s much-loathed, incessant traffic may actually benefit society and the environment should Governor Jerry Brown pass a renewable energy bill by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake). The bill would require the California Energy Commission - the state's primary energy policy and planning agency - to explore generating green electricity from passing cars, trucks and trains. more ›

A bill - AB376 - that would ban the sale, possession and distribution of shark fins passed 25-9 on Tuesday following a Senate debate. Governor Brown now holds the future of the bill in his hands. more ›

A warning to all those for whom the temptation to let their fingers do the talking while driving is impossible to resist: If Governor Jerry Brown signs SB 28 into law, failing to go hands free while you're at the wheel could soon cost you more than twice as much in fines. Bonus: The bill extends the ban on illegal cellphone use while you're in charge of two wheels. more ›

Governor Brown inked the National Popular Vote bill today that would award all of California's 55 Electoral College votes to the winner of the national popular vote in presidential elections, reports CBS LA. Guaranteeing the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire country, the bill preserves the Electoral College while "ensuring that every vote in every state will matter in every presidential election." more ›

Congressman Howard L. Berman, however, wants to legislate helicopter noise away. He put forth his "Los Angeles Residential Helicopter Noise Relief Act" on Thursday, with the hopes of reducing the noise disturbance from low-flying helicopters in Los Angeles County. more ›

It is now a misdemeanor for any prison employee or visitor to smuggle a cell phone into prison, reports. ABC Local. Senators unanimously approved the bill SB26, similar to one that former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed as too weak, on Thursday, reports the Sacramento Bee. The misdemeanor is punishable up to a $5,000 fine. more ›

The Great California Smokeout continues with a state Senate-approved anti-smoking bill that has Weho apartment dwellers concerned about the power of prohibition that may be granted to landlords under California law. Notes Weho Patch, the bill passed last week could have a "major impact in West Hollywood by giving landlords ammunition to evict smokers." more ›

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would make the Golden State the first to institute a full ban on restaurants and eateries serving food and beverages in Styrofoam containers, reports ABC Local. more ›

Assemblyman Paul Cook (R-Yucca) was spurred to introduce the legislation after constituents raised concerns that the monitors were lining municipal coffers at the expense of public safety, said John Sobel, Cooks’s chief of staff. 'If we are installing cameras simply for the sake of increasing revenue, that’s not a good reason to have them,' Sobel said." more ›

The Daily News has launched a set of columns devoted to explaining something that most of us encounter, deal with, but might not necessarily understand: Our LA DWP bill. more ›

Passed by voters in 2008, Proposition 2 ensures that our state's poultry "be able to freely lie down, stand up, extend their wings and turn around by 2015," explains SF Gate. "The law essentially bans the use of small cages that cram the animals so tightly they sometimes cannot turn around." more ›

Remember those cute commercials showing cows auditioning American Idol-style to be the next "face" of Real California Milk? Too bad they were all shot in New Zealand, and not California. more ›

The proposed statewide ban on plastic bags has until next Friday, June 4th to pass or the process starts all over again. Supporters are calling for a final push to secure AB 1998's survival, which will ban the use of plastic bags at grocery and retail stores. Many people feel that ban will directly result in marine protection in an area known as the Pacific Garbage Patch, which extends from Hawaii to San Francisco, containing exceptionally high numbers of plastic waste. more ›

California could soon be the first state to ban smoking in its state parks system, as the Assembly votes today on a bill that aims to to reduce litter, secondhand smoke, and wildfire threats, according to the Huffington Post. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa yesterday unveiled his plan to raise energy rates to make Los Angeles cleaner and greener by having the city powered by 20% renewables by the end of 2010. It goes without saying, it's a proposal rife with controversy. The Mayor touts that most Angelenos will only see a $2.50 increase a month, but there are those who remain doubtful about that claim. more ›

Word on the street via a neighborhood watch in the Valley is that at least one house received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The man on the phone said the customer's bill was not paid--the customer said it was. Upon calling the LADWP themselves, a representative said there was no record of an outbound phone call and that, in general, accounts past due notifications are made using an automated system. In the past, we've seen fake LADWP workers steal bikes and attempt burglaries. more ›

Yeah, it definitely feels like that. And if you do get into the club, some health insurance providers punish you for getting older. And that makes some sense until you you find out "older" means 28 years old, necessitating a near 50 percent increase in monthly payments. But we digress. more ›

After Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed 100 percent of funding for domestic violence programs in California, shelters began making plans to cut services or worse, shut doors. In Santa Clairta, the local shelter laid off some employees and moved offices to save on rent. more ›

Watch out, Los Angeles. We might be having a Raider Nation soon enough (or hey, maybe even get back the Chargers). In a legislative session yesterday, the state's senate approved a bill that "would grant the 75,000-seat stadium project an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, the environmental law that governs development," according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. more ›

Although two major gay rights bills were signed by Governor Schwarzenegger this weekend, two dealing with transgender issues were vetoed. One would have aided transgender people to revise their birth certificates and the other would have provided protections for transgender people in prison. more ›

Yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed two bills into law, both of which focus on restricting operation of a motor vehicle to previous DUI offenders, reports the Daily News. Assemblyman Mike Feur (D-Los Angeles) has authored AB 91, calling for the implementation of a pilot program in four counties that will put an ignition interlock device in "every vehicle owned or operated by a first-time DUI offender." more ›

Governor Arnold Scwharzenegger last night vetoed a bill that would have limited the options of completing the 710 Freeway, which is considered the missing link of the regional freeway system, according to the L.A. Times. If signed, the bill would have stopped any possibility of a surface route, therefore increasing chances of a 4.5-mile tunnel under South Pasadena, connecting to the 134/210 freeway exchange. more ›

Considering the recent flooding in Studio City, a fire truck consumed into a Valley Village street and various other floods throughout the city--Melrose Ave., South LA, Exposition Ave.--Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said today that in order to repair the city's older infrastructure within the 7,200 miles of piping, they will ask the City Council to increase water rates, according to the LA Times. more ›

An assembly bill making its way through state committees gained the support of the city of Los Angeles today. AB 524 "would allow civil fines of up to $50,000 for the taking and selling of images or recordings of people engaged in personal or familial activity, with actual knowledge that the images or recordings were obtained illegally and if any compensation, consideration, or remuneration was provided," according to a city motion. Councilmember Paul Koretz, a former Assemblyman himself, said the bill "only makes sense." more ›

After yesterday's announcement of an $160 million settlement in the case where the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power "knowingly overcharged State and local governmental agencies for electricity (as the State Attorney's Office put it)," the city agency released a statement online only (mysteriously, it wasn't e-mailed). Basically, they say everything is fine and dandy and not to worry about your bills: more ›

Although Republican Assemblyman Bill Maze of Visalia introduced a bill that would fine people driving with animals on their laps $35, the Governor is giving it the ol' veto. more ›