SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on action on the final day of the California Legislature (all times local):
1:50 a.m.
California lawmakers have passed a bill aimed at blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken environmental laws.
The state Senate voted 26-14 early Saturday to send the bill to the governor’s desk. The proposal would make it easier for state agencies to issue emergency regulations to counter the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken federal environmental laws.
Critics say the bill will harm the state’s complex delivery system of water for drinking and irrigation. But supporters say the rules are needed to curb President Donald Trump’s executive actions that would harm endangered species.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has 30 days to decide whether to veto the bill, sign it into law or allow it to become law without his signature.
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1:30 a.m.
Lawmakers have sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill giving California newspapers a one-year delay on complying with a pending new employment law.
Newspapers dislike a bill on Newsom’s desk that makes it harder for companies to treat workers as independent contractors. Many California papers rely on independent contractors to deliver newspapers and say the new law would hurt them financially.
Lawmakers have agreed to give them a one-year exemption.
Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, the sponsor of the original bill , says newspapers have used employment law to deny carriers fair wages and benefits.
The California News Publishers Association and the state’s largest newspapers pressed lawmakers for an exemption.
Gonzalez’s legislation would also affect freelance journalists. They can remain contractors if they submit fewer than 35 pieces to a publication within a year.
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10:30 p.m.
Police in California say the item a woman threw onto the floor of the state Senate is a feminine hygiene product containing what appeared to be blood.
A news release from the California Highway Patrol said officers have arrested the woman on charges including assault, vandalism and disrupting the orderly conduct of official business at the state Capitol.
Police did not identify the woman or offer a motive, referring to her as a “demonstrator.” But the act came as hundreds of protesters packed the Capitol to demonstrate against a recently passed law seeking to crack down on fraudulent medical exemptions for vaccinations.
The state Senate relocated to a committee room to complete its work.
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8:22 p.m.
California lawmakers are meeting in a committee room after a woman threw red liquid from the public gallery in the Senate chambers.
The Senate had just finished a vote Friday when a woman tossed a red liquid from the public gallery and declaring “that’s for the dead babies.”
Senators, staff and others cleared the room as authorities investigated.
Friday is the final day of the legislative session, and lawmakers have bills to debate before adjourning for the year. The Senate is scheduled to finish its work in a committee room.
Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins said Capitol law enforcement official had dealt with the situation. Representatives from the California Highway Patrol have not commented.
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6:10 p.m.
A woman has thrown red liquid from the public gallery of the California Senate, hitting several senators and delaying the final day of the legislative session.
The woman said something about “dead babies” after she threw the liquid on Friday. Authorities quickly cleared the Senate chambers.
Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins called the behavior “unacceptable.” She said in a news release that Capitol law enforcement officials had dealt with the situation.
Atkins said the Senate will “continue to do the people’s important business.”
The incident comes as dozens of protesters have filled the Capitol to demonstrate against a bill that seeks to curb the fraudulent issuance of medical exemptions for vaccinations. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law earlier this week.
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5 p.m.
The American Independent Party would be forced to change its name in California under a bill the state Legislature has sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The bill bans political parties from using the words “independent,” ’’no party preference” or “decline to state” in its official name.
The American Independent Party is the only party in California that would be impacted. It is a staunchly conservative party and critics argue its name confuses voters.
The party has been an option in California since 1968. It counts 2.59% of registered voters as members.
Representatives from the American Independent Party did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
3:45 p.m.
A bill on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom would let California cities create their own public banks.
Assemblyman David Chiu of San Francisco, the bill’s author, says public banks are better able to focus on local needs rather than shareholder interests. His bill passed the Assembly on Friday by a single vote.
The California Bankers Association says the proposal will harm commercial, community banks.
North Dakota is the only state with a public bank.
California’s legislation would require voters to approve the creation of public banks and only allow up to 10 to exist statewide. The law, if passed, would only stay in effect for seven years.
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Noon
The California Senate has advanced legislation to cap interest rates for consumer loans.
The bill caps interest rates for payday and other loans at roughly 38 percent. The cap will fluctuate slightly depending on a key interest rate set by the Federal Reserve. It affects loans between $2,500 and $9,999.
Consumer advocacy groups say some loan companies charge interest rates as high as 225%. They say the proposal is aimed at stopping predatory lending practices.
But opponents of the bill, including chambers of commerce representing black and Hispanic Californians, say the rate cap could cut some people’s access to loans.
Loan companies would also be required to offer the borrower a credit education seminar.
It will receive a final vote in the state Assembly later Friday.
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