Update: Bills that could impact directly your life
Could a new bill really ban Skittles?
The so-called candy ban bill passed the Assembly Health Committee this week. It would prohibit companies from selling food in California that contain five chemicals that are likened to health concerns ranging from cancer to neurobehavioral changes in kids.
Earlier this week, CBS13 investigated claims that the bill could ban the sale of popular candy like Skittles and Pez. However, the chemicals are already banned in Europe, and they still sell versions of the candy there.
We therefore enlisted some cute taste testers to investigate the difference between the European and U.S. versions, and the candy without the chemicals tastes the same.
Should parents have the right to know if their child is exposed to lead at school?
Last month, CBS13 reported on loopholes in California law that leave parents in the dark and kids at risk while revealing evidence that some local schools failed to notify parents, or fix affected taps, after finding lead in drinking water on campus.
The Assembly Education Committee passed legislation that would require, among other things, that all school taps are tested for lead, requiring schools to notify parents and disable affected faucets.
Should victims have a right to know what a felon did to earn early release and when they'll be released early?
Those were the questions at the heart of several pieces of legislation prompted by our reporting.
While the Senate and Assembly Public Safety committees failed to pass the bills, at least one is expected to pass with amendments later this month.
Should parents have the right to know that California is storing your child's DNA and that they might sell it to researchers or give it to law enforcement without your knowledge?
Legislation would, for the first time, give parents the right to opt out of storage before the state automatically stores a sample of their child's DNA at birth.
However, it failed to pass the senate health committee late this afternoon.
