Government Watch

• A bill that seeks to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the voluntary pledge that candidates may sign prior to entering a political campaign passed a hurdle yesterday in the State Senate Committee on Elections, Reapportionment, and Constitutional Amendments on a partisan 3-2 vote.

AB 1207 is authored by Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, and is the second attempt in two years to pass such legislation. It is designed to end discrimination against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community during campaigns. AB 866, identical legislation authored by Yee last year, was vetoed by the governor.

• The California State Senate Education Committee yesterday unanimously approved legislation authored by Speaker Pro Tem Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, to protect freedom of speech and press for college and university newspapers. AB 2581, which passed on a bipartisan 8-0 vote, is the nation’s first bill specifically prohibiting censorship of college student newspapers.

City government

• The San Carlos City Council will vote on authorizing the city manager to pay up to $150,000 to Moore Consulting for professional planning services for the proposed Palo Alto Medical Foundation project at 301 Industrial Road at its Monday meeting.

At the meeting, the council will also consider awarding a contract for joint communication dispatch services with the city of Menlo Park.

The City Council meets 7 p.m. Monday June 26 at City Hall, 600 Elm St.

• The San Mateo City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss the single family dwelling design guidelines and process review.

The city began requiring design review of second-story additions to single-family dwellings and new single-family two-story dwellings in March 2000. Tuesday’s meeting is the culmination of a series of workshops and city meetings to amend the guidelines.

Those who wish to remodel their homes must have a pre-application neighborhood meeting and pay all appeal fees, according to the new rules to be discussed.

The council will meet 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 26 at City Hall, 330 W. 20th Ave.

<