PREVIEWGraphic Grants Plan The first state effort...

PREVIEW

Graphic Grants Plan The first state effort to boost the supply of digital artists needed to meet the demands of the booming entertainment industry was underway Thursday with the release of Gov. Pete Wilson’s budget proposal.

Wilson has asked for $1.2 million in new Cal Grant scholarships for students learning digital animation. That money would be matched by industry contributions.

After a summer meeting with Hollywood executives, the Wilson administration was told the supply of qualified digital artists and animators was their “single most pressing need,” said Rosalie Zalis, Wilson’s entertainment industry liaison. The money would cover about 500 scholarships in 1997. The Cal Grants, which are renewable, range from $530 for community college students to up to $7,164 for students at private universities.

Criteria for the new grants will emphasize an applicant’s skills and recommendations received. In another new twist, a panel of digital artists and entertainment industry executives would be involved in screening applicants. “Digital animation firms now have to recruit from all over the world, and they don’t like being immigration officers,” said Bruce Smith, spokesman for Santa Monica College, whose students could be benefactors of the grants. This fall, the school will open its new-media technology academy.

APPOINTMENTS

* James P. Smith of Topanga has been reappointed to the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, which develops and enforces workplace safety standards. Smith, 53, is the director of the Labor and Population Studies Program for the Santa Monica-based Rand Corp. think tank. No salary. No Senate confirmation required.

* Wendell C. McCullough of Pasadena has been named deputy director for telecommunications for the California Department of General Services. McCullough, 56, previously worked as a Southern California-based consultant for Network Analytic Inc. and was president and chief executive of Accutel Services Inc. of Pasadena, which has since been acquired by U.S. Long Distance. Salary: $88,860. No Senate confirmation required.

These appointments were made this week by the governor.

HOT BILLS

Here’s a look at some business-related bills recently introduced:

* Tip Deductions (SB 92)

Would allow bar and restaurant owners to deduct tips from the wages owed to their minimum-wage employees. Supporters, including the Newport-Beach based American Restaurant Group, argue that the deductions would help offset the financial strain created by the recent federal and state minimum wage increases. Author: Raymond Haynes (R-Riverside).

* Solar Energy Tax Credits (SB 119)

Would allow businesses and homeowners to write off 25% of the costs of purchasing and installing solar energy systems. The maximum tax credit allowed would be $1,000. The bill is sponsored by the California Solar Energy Industries Assn., which argues that passage would boost the state’s solar-energy business and create jobs. Opposition could come from state finance officials objecting to the loss of tax revenue. Author: Steve Peace (D-El Cajon).

* Securities Litigation (SB 35)

Would make it more difficult for individual shareholders to bring lawsuits arising from stock losses. This bill would adopt federal securities litigation controls as the standard in California, replacing existing less-restrictive state controls. Support is likely from Silicon Valley and technology firms elsewhere in the state whose stock prices often are subject to wild fluctuations. Opposition is likely from trial lawyers. Author: John Vasconcellos (D-Santa Clara).

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