Government watch

Hill, D-San Mateo, had several bills that were passed and must clear the Senate floor by June 5 to proceed to the Assembly.

That legislation includes bills to reduce the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors, encourage DUI offenders to install ignition interlock devices and another to curb the use of antibiotics in livestock by requiring veterinarian oversight and preventing them from being used to stimulate growth.

• Assembly Bill 44, authored by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, cleared the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will move to the Assembly floor for consideration. The bill would provide a state-funded, full manual recount option for any statewide office or ballot measure where the margin of victory is 0.015 percent or 1,000 votes, whichever is lower. This reform addresses the serious flaws exposed in the existing recount system during the June 2014 state controller’s primary race, according to Mullin’s office.

Mullin’s Assembly Bill 516 also cleared the Appropriations Committee. It requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish a mandatory temporary license plate system for new and used auto dealers to install “temp tags” at the point of sale. This will improve public safety and boost transportation funding by enabling law enforcement and toll operators to identify these vehicles should they break the law after they leave the lot, according to Mullin’s office.

Another Mullin elections bill, ACA 2, also passed out of committee. This bill would allow 17-year-olds to vote in a primary election if they will be 18 years of age by the general election, according to Mullin’s office.