Environmental, labor and consumer advocates called on Gov. Scwarzenegger to honor his pledge to protect Californians and the environment in response to concerns raised by a State Agency's proposal to expand the use of potentially hazardous plastics in homes.

The Consumer Federation of California has endorsed Proposition 89, citing the role of big business money in buying votes, bankrolling special interest ballot measures, and defeating consumer protection legislation.

The Senate voted to approve Assembly Bill 1010 (AB 1010) by Ira Ruskin (D - Redwood City) today, after easily passing a critical Committee vote on Tuesday. Cell phone users are now another step closer to winning back critical protections against deceptive cell phone industry practices.

The Consumer Federation of California released results of a public opinion poll showing that 87% of California voters want the right to cancel a new cell phone contract for 30 days without penalty or early termination fees. AB 2622 (Ruskin) restores this right which was recently repealed by the California Public Utilities Commission.

The recent security breaches at choice point and Bank of America are just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to the risk of identity theft now faced by all consumers. Privacy advocates say these recent debacles highlight the need for more government regulation of how consumer data is collected and distributed.

The recent security breaches of sensitive customer information held by ChoicePoint and Bank of America have underscored how vulnerable consumers are to threats of identity theft and the need for stronger protections to reduce such fraud.

The Little Hoover Commission is considering the governorýs plan to eliminate 88 boards and commissions that regulate businesses, professions, labor, environmental and educational matters. The Consumer Federation of California urged the Little Hoover Commission to reject the governorýs proposal in its entirety.

"Senator Speier's new legislation represents an important step forward for financial privacy," stated Richard Holober, Executive Director of the Consumer Federation of California. "We support the legislation and we will keep working to prohibit information sharing without explicit consumer consent."