State Briefs

The recommendation by a subcommittee was passed on to the full 29-member committee appointed to oversee the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which was widely expected to approve it Tuesday during its monthly meeting at Stanford University is widely expected. Hall would take over the interim president slot from Robert N. Klein, who would remain as the committee's chairman.

Hall, 67, didn't return two telephone calls Monday and his salary was not disclosed Monday. Hall's pay is expected to be discussed Tuesday.

Lawsuit over fight

that ended Raider's career goes to trial

OAKLAND - Former Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski ended Marcus Williams' NFL career two years ago when he ripped off his teammate's helmet and punched the second-year tight end in the face during a practice drill.

Romanowski's long history of bad behavior on the field has ended in a courtroom, where Williams is suing the linebacker for damages.

Williams is seeking damages of $3.8 million for alleged battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The blow he took Aug. 24, 2003, broke a bone around his left eye and also injured his brain. His football career ended at age 27.

Romanowski, known for fanatical behavior during his 16 NFL seasons, apologized publicly several days after the altercation.

"I hold myself accountable," Romanowski said afterward. "It was a classless move by me."

Williams wasn't satisfied and filed the civil lawsuit. The case, which could last several weeks, will focus on the consequences of Romanowksi's actions on Williams' career.

Potential witnesses include Romanowski's former teammates, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott, former Raiders coach Bill Callahan, and Williams' agent, Lee Kolligian.

Labor leaders call meal break video propaganda

SACRAMENTO - Labor leaders and a Democratic lawmaker Monday denounced a Schwarzenegger administration video that was packaged as a

television news story to promote regulations that opponents

say would weaken workers'

meal break guarantees.

"It's a blatant attempt to manipulate the media," said Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood. "If a television station is lazy enough just to take this video (and run it), it completely manipulates and skews the story."

He suggested the video violated a ban on spending tax money to produce propaganda and said he would ask the attorney general's office to investigate.

But an administration spokesman, Rick Rice, said the video was "just a news release" and that television stations were "free to use it however they want. They're journalists so I am assuming they would do what journalists do, which is look at both sides of the story."

"We don't think this is political ... nor is it propaganda," he added. "It's just a news release on an issue the labor unions are completely opposed to. They're looking to anything they can to detract from the true issue, which is their opposition to our regulations."

The video, which Koretz said was run verbatim by at least five stations, includes a suggested introduction by the news anchor and interviews with a restaurant manager, grower, forklift supervisor and an administration official.

It says the regulations would provide "real-life relief" for employees by giving them the choice of taking meal breaks or getting off work earlier. "Workers with special circumstances such as medical conditions, child-care issues or caring for elderly parents would have flexibility with their work schedules," an announcer says.

There's no comment in the video from anyone opposed to the regulations, which interpret a law that says an employer must provide at least a 30-minute meal break in the first five hours of an employee's shift.

The regulations, which still need approval from the Office of Administrative Law to take effect, say an employer would meet that requirement by telling employees of their meal rights and giving them an opportunity to take a break.

"Obviously they would have to mutually agree on when to take it," Rice said. "The employer still has to provide it (within the first five hours), but if the employee wants to take it later or go home early they would have to mutually agree."

Koretz and labor representatives said the wording of the regulations could lead to "a lot of opportunity for mischief" by employers.

"If the employer says, 'Nobody around here really takes their meal period; we all just kind of like to work through lunch,' the worker who wants to take their meal period is going to feel intimidated," said Barry Broad, a lobbyist for several labor unions.

Angie Wei, a lobbyist the California Labor Federation, complained that the administration put out the video before hearing complaints about the regulations from "hundreds" of workers at a series of public hearings.

"This administration continues to hold itself out as wanting to abide by the will of the people," she said. "The people are speaking but nobody's listening."

Rice said the video was an attempt to promote the hearings and that the regulations probably would be modified after the hearings are completed Wednesday.

Koretz said he was willing to introduce legislation to make some "minor tweaks" that would give employees more meal break flexibility, but he contended the administration's goal was to make it easier for "some of the bad actors in all of these industries to cut out meal and rest breaks for their employees."

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