California Assembly passes ski helmet bill
By Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee
Ted Gaines and Roger Niello, two Republican assemblymen who are special election rivals for the late Sen. Dave Cox’s seat, clashed on the Assembly floor Thursday over a bill that would require kids to wear helmets while skiing or snowboarding.
The 1st Senate District in which they are running contains the largest single concentration of the state’s ski slopes and the ski industry has endorsed the measure, Senate Bill 880, which would require helmets for those 17 years old and younger.
Whistler mountain guides, like Susan Sommer, wear helmets on the job. Photo/Kathryn Reed
Gaines, of Roseville, spoke for and joined most Democrats in voting for the measure, Senate Bill 880, while Niello, of Fair Oaks, denounced and joined other Republicans in voting against it. The final vote was 41-20, returning the measure, authored by Democratic Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco, to the Senate for final action.