After Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last-minute signing spree to beat Tuesday’s midnight deadline, Sen. Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa had more bills signed into law this year than any other California state senator. Out of Wiggins’ 24 bills that were sent to the Governor’s desk this year, 17 bills were signed; seven were vetoed.

Signed

• SB 157: Non-Profits

Expands the list of nonprofits that can serve and sell wine at fundraisers.

• SB 607: Home Winemakers

Allows home winemakers to participate in wine competitions, including county and state fairs.

• SB 634: Olive Oil

Establishes standards for olive oil in California more in line with international standards.

• SB 911: Balloons

Continues the exemption of hot air balloon operators from certain regulations so they the can keep the cost of liability insurance for passengers low.

• SB 662: Veterans

Makes clarifying changes to the Military and Veterans code regarding management of the state's Veterans Homes, including clarifications about potential conflicts of interest.

• SB 1093: Ferry reform

A cleanup measure to last year's bill that transferred multiple city-operated ferry systems under one state-organized ferry system. This bill is intended to ensure the level of ferry service in Vallejo and Alameda and protect downtown redevelopment projects designed around the ferry system. Requires that cities be compensated if the state takes possession of any ferry facilities or ferries.

• SB 1699: Hospitals

Allows Sonoma Valley Hospital to save time and money by using a "design-build" bidding process. This process consolidates design and construction phases to be completed by a single entity.

• SB 562: Salmon

Allocates $5.3 million to the state Department of Fish and Game for coastal salmon and steelhead fisheries restoration.

• SB 1690: Crab

Creates an industry advisory group for California crab fishermen to develop recommendations for a sustainable crab fishery.

• SB 1016: Landfills

Requires cities and counties to measure how much waste is deposited in landfills, rather than how much they divert. Intended to more accurately portray how cities an counties meet a 50 percent diversion requirement.

• SB 1431: State Parks

Allows the state Department of Parks and Recreation to use conservation easements to protect and preserve state park lands. Enables DPR to give grants to state or local governments or nonprofits to purchase and hold conservation easements.

• SB 579: Firefighters

Authorizes Los Angeles County to permit firefighters who retired after April 1, 2007 to reinstate and work after retirement age.

• SB 780: Phone service

Continues funding for a program paid for by all telephone customers to protect rural areas of the state from unreasonable phone bills.

• SB 1149: Phone service II

Continues funding for a grant program that provides telephone services to people who are low-income and/or live in rural areas with no telephone service.

• SB 1123: Pensions

Requires benefits for employees and retirees to be adopted by California’s public governments in open, public session. Creates a panel of professional pension actuaries to suggest best practices for actuaries employed by public retirement systems.

• SB 1627: Boat pilots

Places the Board of Pilot Commissioners under the jurisdiction of the state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Intended to ensure that pilots are properly trained and licensed.

• SB 608: Judges

Restores the ability of judges at retirement age with at least 20 years of service to designate their spouse to receive an optional settlement in lieu of a pre-retirement death benefit.

Vetoed

SB 623: Gas prices

• Would have required owners of gas stations to post the price differences between purchases made by cash and credit.

• SB 992: Rehab

Would have created a new category of licensed rehabilitation facilities.

• SB 1167: Insurance

Would have required the Insurance Commissioner to convene a task force to address “steering” issues, which occurs when car insurance representatives persuade consumers to make vehicle repairs at certain auto body shops.

• SB 1376: Retirement

Would have made technical, non-substantive changes to the State Teachers Retirement System law. Would have repealed obsolete sections of that law.

• SB 1442: Education

Would have allowed schools to teach career technical education courses during after-school or summer school programs.

• SB 1557: Planning

Would have added a provision to the State's Smart Growth planning priorities to address green house gas emissions. Would have strengthened state law with regard to land use by updating legislation from 2002.

• SB 1645: Energy

Would have required the Energy Commission to update its Energy Aware Planning Guide.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed 11 bills authored by Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa. Seven bills approved by the House and the Senate were vetoed by the governor.

Signed

• AB 2004: Winery picnics

Allows winery visitors to drink wine in the picnic area of a winery.

• AB 2090: Wine marketing

Creates a new temporary license for wine grape commissions, regional wine grape grower associations and professional organizations in enology and viticulture to organize wine tasting events.

• AB 2266: Liquor licenses

Allows for five additional on-sale liquor licenses a year for Napa County restaurants from 2009-2011.

• AB 1964: Non-profits

Increases the number of temporary alcohol licenses a nonprofit can obtain to conduct wine dinner and wine auction fundraisers. Allows nonprofits to temporarily store wine leading up to events if a temporary alcohol license is pending.

• AB 1898: Flood project

Makes the city of St. Helena eligible to receive state funds for its flood project. Funds range from 50 to 70 percent of project costs.

• AB 1948: Vallejo Schools

Extends the deadline for Vallejo City Unified School District to sell surplus property to pay the state’s emergency loan from 2004.

• AB 2287: Firefighters

Makes technical and clarifying changes to the definition of "surviving spouse" in the event that a firefighter or peace officer is killed in the line of duty.

• AB 1679: Open records

Allows all papers and records in paternity cases, other than the final judgment, to be accessed by parties, their attorneys, the agents of the party or attorneys acting under written authorization.

• AB 1949: Courts

Makes clarifying and technical changes to specific provisions of court operations.

• AB 2258: County fairs

Protects $40 million in funding for county fairs. The funding comes from fees on the horse racing industry.

Vetoed

• AB 2923: Wilderness

Would have directed the Resources Agency and the State Lands Commission to report to the Legislature by December 1, 2009, whether specific state lands in Napa, Lake, Sonoma and Santa Clara counties merit wilderness designation.

• AB 2849: Honeybees

Would have helped beekeepers deal with increased thefts of their hives by entitling them to three times the value of damages associated with the theft or damage plus fair compensation for the time and money expended to recover or replace the bees.

• AB 16: HPV

Would have required health plans and insurers to cover the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that can cause cervical cancer, if they already provide coverage for the treatment or surgery of cervical cancer and an annual cervical cancer screening test.

• AB 30: Insurance

Would have required health plans and insurers to provide coverage for the testing and treatment of inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) in newborn children that, if untreated, could result in death, coma, seizures, cardiovascular disease and mental retardation. Current law only requires coverage for one of 47 different IEMs. This legislation is sponsored by the March of Dimes.

• AB 2629: Elevators

Would have allowed lifts used in agricultural facilities to be inspected and maintained by someone designated by the owner or operator of the facilities, even if that person is not certified as a competent conveyance mechanic. Would have stipulated that required inspections must be performed by a certified competent conveyance mechanic.

• AB 734: Apprenticeships

Would have established basic guidelines for the approval or expansion of new and existing apprenticeship programs.

• AB 926: eDiscovery

Would have clarified procedures for the production of electronic documents during discovery in civil litigation.

• AB 2379: Court records

Would have accelerated the review of court records sealing decisions. In civil cases, it would allow a writ or appeal. In criminal cases, it would allow a writ review only.