The child sex abuse scandal rocking Penn State University has sparked at least two proposals for new laws in California.
Two lawmakers say they'll introduce legislation to create new rules for coaches and nonprofits in response to reports of alleged sexual abuse of young boys by former Penn State football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
One proposal, authored by Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, would require university coaching staff, including graduate assistants and athletic directors, to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to law enforcement.
Assemblyman Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, has also called for legislation targeting nonprofits that enable or fail to report sexual abuse of children connected to their organization.
Lara said he wants to craft a bill to strip such organizations of their tax-exempt status, though it was not immediately clear what state agency – if any – would have that authority. A spokesperson for the Franchise Tax Board, which handles tax- exemption applications, was not immediately available for comment. Lara's office declined to elaborate, saying they are still fleshing out details.
For Lara, the issue is personal. He says that as a young child he was sexually abused by an older relative.
"It infuriated me that people would try to sweep this under the rug," he said in an interview.
>BY THE NUMBERS
Leave it to the U.S. Census Bureau to furnish Thanksgiving facts about the traditional holiday meal. An estimated 248 million gobblers will be raised nationwide this year, with Minnesota the top-producing state. The average American eats 13.3 pounds of turkey a year, with "no doubt a hearty helping" of bird on people's plates today, the bureau news release says.
>WORTH REPEATING
"As Americans, we have every reason to give thanks for the wonderful bounty of our land, the strength of our fellow citizens and our system of government that protects our basic freedoms."
GOV. JERRY BROWN, issuing an official proclamation declaring today to be Thanksgiving
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