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'Carmeggedon' is this week: Plan Ahead, Avoid The Area, Or Stay Home. This is the weekend that I-405 between U.S. 101 and I-10 will be closed for 53 hours as part of a highway-widening project that means short-term gridlock and long-term relief – at least that"s the hope.

Los Angeles Times: OPINION: California prisons: Read why Sen. Ted Lieu thinks 'Non-revocable parole' is too dangerous.

AP National Wire: States consider banning teens from tanning beds; Ted Lieu's SB 746 cited

Free Microchips – About 600 animal owners attend free 'microchipping" of pets during event shows promise of Sen. Lieu bill that would save taxpayers $300 million annually.

Latino Outreach -- Members of the Latin Business Association visit Sen. Lieu to talk about business issues between Mexico and Latin-owned businesses in California. From left, Leonarda Hernandez, Marisol Camelo, Sen. Lieu and Ruben Guerra, chairman of the board for LBA. The group has 3,500 members in California.

Education policymakers approve bill to give schools more tools to crack down on ‘sexting’

SEXTING -- Surveys show sexting of sexually explicit images is becoming increasingly common among teenagers.

'Sexting" in schools has led to bullying, suicide

SACRAMENTO – Leaders of a state panel that sets education policy have approved my plan to give public schools statewide the ability to suspend or expel students for electronically transmitting sexually explicit messages.

Almost all high school students and many middle school students text each other, often during school. But the disturbing part is that these messages are sometimes sexually explicit in nature and include photos, videos and messages, known as sexting. Fact is, sexting is now a form of relationship currency for many youths and goes far beyond what passing of notes was when I was in school.

That's why the Assembly Education Committee recently approved my measure, Senate Bill 919.

Many young adults are pressured to send sexually explicit messages as a way to get closer to another person. Unfortunately, what often happens is the relationship ends and the images then are distributed widely, bringing long-term social, emotional and psychological harm, either in the form of bullying or embarrassment. This has led to at least two suicides, authorities have told me.

According to a 2008 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 20 percent of teens between 13 and 19 had sent or received nude or semi-nude pictures or videos of themselves. It also showed 38 percent of teen girls and 39 percent of teen boys had shared sexually suggestive text messages or emails originally intended for someone else.

As written, SB 919 would:

• Encourage districts to provide grade-level appropriate instruction, counseling and other conflict resolution practices for students on the potential risks and consequences of creating and sharing sexually suggestive or explicit materials through cellular telephones and other electronic devices.
• Add sexting to the Interagency School Safety Demonstration Act, which encourages interagency coordination between local educational agencies, law enforcement agencies and agencies serving youths.
• Define "sexting" to mean the dissemination of, or the solicitation or incitement to disseminate, a photograph or other visual recording that depicts a minor's exposed or visible private body parts.
• Add sexting to the list of offenses for which a pupil may be suspended or expelled.

It is the public policy of the state to reduce and eliminate sexting so all pupils can have a safe school environment.

SB 919 next faces a review by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. If approved, it must return to the Senate for concurrence on amendments.

If you have questions about these or any of my other bills, please contact me by using the contact information at the bottom of this e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Ted W. Lieu
28th Senate District

For more, including the Fact Sheet and actual bill language on my sexting bill, visit my Web site at the address below.