Jerry Brown signs massage regulation, Armenian genocide instruction bills

Gov. Jerry Brown has handed California cities some sought-after tools for controlling a massage industry boom.

Cities and police officers have complained about a proliferation of massage parlors in recent years, saying the culprit was a 2008 law giving the nonprofit California Massage Therapy Council overriding authority for overseeing massage parlors. The issue was a priority for the League of California Cities.

Brown announced on Thursday that he had signed Assembly Bill 1147, which restores some power to local jurisdictions – notably granting them land-use powers making it easier to shut down or restrict the number of massage establishments.

Also earning Brown’s signature was a measure prodding California schools to teach students about the Armenian genocide. Advocates for greater awareness call the deaths of over 1 million Armenians one of the great atrocities of the 20th century, but granting official recognition often proves difficult. A congressional resolution acknowledging the event has encountered strong opposition amid concerns it would damage relations with Turkey, which says the deaths were part of a war, not a genocide.

The bills were two of 41 bill signings and six vetoes announced Thursday by Brown’s office. The Democratic governor signed the measures without comment.

This story was originally published September 18, 2014 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Jerry Brown signs massage regulation, Armenian genocide instruction bills."