ANTI-GANG LEGISLATION APPROVED BY SENATE.Byline: LISA The first personal computer to include integrated software and use a graphical interface. Modeled after the Xerox Star and introduced in 1983 by Apple, it was ahead of its time, but never caught on due to its $10,000 price and slow speed. FRIEDMAN Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- Sweeping national anti-gang legislation breezed unanimously through the U.S. Senate on Friday in a move that could significantly aid Los Angeles' efforts to quell quell tr.v. quelled, quell·ing, quells 1. To put down forcibly; suppress: Police quelled the riot. 2. rising violence. The Gang Abatement A reduction, a decrease, or a diminution. The suspension or cessation, in whole or in part, of a continuing charge, such as rent. With respect to estates, an abatement is a proportional diminution or reduction of the monetary legacies, a disposition of property by will, when Act, which underwent nearly a decade of setbacks and negotiations before it passed, would pour a total of $1 billion into new gang intervention and enforcement programs. For the first time, it also would define criminal street gangs under federal law and make recruitment a felony. "For more than a decade, I have worked to address the problem of gang violence that cripples cripples see osteomalacia. so many neighborhoods in our nation," said California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (born June 22, 1933) is the senior U.S. Senator from California, having held office as a senator since 1992. She is a member of the Democratic Party. , the bill's author and prime sponsor. "With Senate passage of this balanced and comprehensive bill, we move one step closer to providing a federal hand of assistance to those on the front lines." Rep. Adam Schiff
Adam B. Schiff (born June 20 1960) is an American politician. He first served in the California State Senate. , D-Pasadena, is carrying similar legislation in the U.S. House, but its fate there remains uncertain. If the House approves a significantly different version, the House and Senate will have to hammer out differences before getting a bill to the president's desk. Still, the bill's overwhelming approval in the Senate was an enormous victory for supporters. For years it had been under siege, most recently from liberal groups that said the language swept innocent teens up with hardened gang members and failed to adequately fund prevention and intervention programs. Feinstein made a number of changes to accommodate opponents, including tightening the definition of a street gang to at least five members -- each of whom has committed at least one crime over a period of five years. "It strikes a balance. It's taken awhile a·while adv. For a short time. Usage Note: Awhile, an adverb, is never preceded by a preposition such as for, but the two-word form a while may be preceded by a preposition. to find that balance, but I think it finally does," said Scott Gerber, a spokesman for Feinstein. In the end, the bill passed with less debate than usually accompanies even small measures like post office renamings. "It's a marked change compared to the past several years," Schiff said. Schiff also has made accommodations in his legislation, and said he is hoping the bill will be up for a hearing in the coming weeks. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. and Police Chief William Bratton also support the bill. Law enforcement officials estimate about 30,000 gang members are operating in about 2,500 communities. About 60 percent of all homicides in Los Angeles are believed to be gang-related. Among the provisions in Feinstein's bill, $411.5 million would go toward intervention programs. About $187 million will go to support task forces in neighborhoods determined to be "high-intensity gang areas." About $175 million will fund intervention grants for states and counties and the rest will fund mentoring and after-school programs. lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com (202) 662-8731 |
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