Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/716832
TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO The Cali- fornia Senate has voted to make California the latest state to give dying patients a right to try experimental medical treatments. Senators approved AB1668 in a unanimous vote Thursday, sending it back to the Assembly. The "right to try" bill would allow drugmakers and medical device man- ufacturers to provide ac- cess to experimental treatments that haven't been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis- tration. Drugmakers and device manufacturers would not be required to accommodate a patient's request for experimental products. "Right to try" bills are advocated by the Goldwa- ter Institute, a libertarian think tank. It says at least 31 states have approved such legislation. Gov. Jerry Brown ve- toed a similar bill last year, saying the FDA al- ready has a program in place to allow the use of experimental drugs. Salestaxontampons The California Senate is backing legislation to re- peal the sales tax on tam- pons and other feminine hygiene products. The Senate approved the measure in a 38-0 vote on Thursday. AB1561 returns to the Assembly, which has already approved it but must agree to changes made in the Senate. The proposal by Dem- ocratic Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia of Bell Gardens would exempt tampons, pads, men- strual cups and menstrual sponges from the state's 7.5 percent sales tax. Supporters say the tax unfairly burdens women who have little choice but to purchase the products. Feminine hygiene prod- ucts are already excluded from sales taxes in five other states. Canada decided last year to scrap tampon taxes. In March, the Eu- ropean Union gave the United Kingdom and other member nations the go-ahead to do the same. Statute of limitations on rape California lawmak- ers are advancing a bill eliminating the state's 10- year time limit to bring rape and child molesta- tion charges after several women were precluded from bringing cases against actor Bill Cosby. SB813 would apply to crimes committed in the future. It would not allow Cosby's accusers to seek prosecution for sexual as- sault they say he commit- ted decades ago. Cosby has repeatedly denied the allegations made by dozens of women around the country, some claims dating to the 1960s. Republican Assembly- man Travis Allen of Hun- tington Beach says rape is such a heinous crime that statutes of limitations are inappropriate. The Assembly voted unanimously Thursday to send SB813 back to the Senate. SACRAMENTO Ca li fo rn ia S en at e OK s 'right to try' provision By Christopher Weber and Christine Armario The Associated Press SAN BERNARDINO Twisted metal gates and rusted mailboxes remained where houses once stood. Flames had turned a lot full of cars — including some vintage models — into a junkyard of hollowed-out shells. Countless trees were scorched or gone. Scenes of destruction were everywhere Thursday after a huge wildfire sped through mountains and high desert 60 miles east of Los Angeles so swiftly that it took seasoned fire- fighters off guard. An aerial flyover re- vealed significant prop- erty loss, but crews were just beginning to comb through the rubble to doc- ument the devastation. "Most of the areas where there was structural dam- age, they're still smolder- ing," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Jake Rodri- guez said. Many residents re- mained in limbo, unable to go home and wondering whether anything would be left when they can. "I want it to be over, but more than anything I just want to know, 'Is my house still there?'" Lisa Gregory said as she sat in a lawn chair under a tree at an evacuation center. The fire has blackened more than 49 square miles and was just 4 percent con- tained since erupting Tues- day in hot, gusty condi- tions and spreading with extraordinary speed. At its height, more than 34,000 homes and some 82,000 residents were under evac- uation warnings. There was some good news Thursday: People living near a corner of the area that didn't burn were cleared to return home. During five years of drought, California's wild- lands have seen a contin- uous streak of destructive and sometimes deadly fires. No deaths have been reported in the latest fire, but crews assessing prop- erty damage were us- ing cadaver dogs during searches. The dry vegetation is like firewood, said fire in- formation officer Sean Col- lins. "It burns that much quicker, that much hotter. The rate of travel is ex- tremely fast," he said. Wildfires across the country in recent years have grown more ferocious and expensive to fight. Last year's fire season set a record with more than 15,625 square miles of land charred. It was also the costliest on record with $2.1 billion spent to fight fires from Alaska to Flor- ida. Experts have blamed several factors including rising temperatures that more quickly dry out for- ests and vegetation. De- cades of aggressively knocking down small fires also have led to the buildup of flammable fuel. On top of that, more people are moving into fire-prone re- gions, complicating fire- fighting efforts. In the Southern Califor- nia fire, air tankers spent Thursday bombarding rug- ged slopes with fire retar- dant, and a squadron of helicopters dropped load after load of water to cor- ral flames. On the ground, firefighters and bulldozers worked to protect the ski town of Wrightwood and other areas high in the San Gabriel Mountains. Authorities estimated that only half of the 4,500 residents of Wrightwood had heeded evacuation or- ders. The fire unleashed its initial fury on a semi-ru- ral landscape dotted with small ranches and homes in Cajon Pass and on the edge of the Mojave Desert before climbing the moun- tains. Travel was returning to normal in the pass — a ma- jor corridor for trucking, rail and commuter traffic — after Interstate 15 was fully reopened. In mountains north of San Francisco, fire crews gained more ground on a wildfire as damage inspec- tors surveyed the area to determine how many structures were destroyed or damaged. The 6-square-mile blaze was 55 percent contained after destroying at least 268 structures, including 175 homes and eight busi- nesses, in the working-class community of Lower Lake. Damin Pashilk is charged with 14 counts of arson in connection with 12 separate fires dating back to July 2015 and one count of attempted arson. The 40-year-old construc- tion worker appeared in court Wednesday, but he did not enter a plea. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Evacuated residents in limbo as wildfire burns Seeninalongexposurenighttimephotograph,aburned van rests in a lot while a wildfire glows on the horizon in Phelan early Thursday. PHOTOS BY NOAH BERGER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Smoke from a wildfire rises above I-15in Keenbrook on Wednesday. Canada decided last year to scrap tampon taxes. In March, the European Union gave the United Kingdom and other member nations the go- ahead to do the same. Krista at 602-702-9086 or Marcy at 1-800-888-9040(TollFree) or e-mail us at info@world-heritage.org JoinOur "Hydrate Our Heroes" Water Drive Let'sgetlocalareafirefightersthewaterthey need for wh en th ey battle the bla ze. From now until the end of September, Brookdale Red Bluff will be collecting cases of bottled water from local businesses, veterans groups, civic organizations and not-for-profits in effort to keep local firefighters hydrated as they keep us safe. Drop off your water at 705 Luther Road, or call us at (530) 529-2900 for a pick-up. All participating partners will be officially thanked in The Red Bluff Daily News. Our firemen are our heroes. Let's be theirs during this very special drive. Donate today. For more information, call (530) 529-2900. BrookdaleRedBluff FormerlyEmeritus ® at Lassen House Assisted Living | Alzheimer's & Dementia Care 705 Luther Rd | Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 529-2900 RCFE # 525002546 brookdale.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUN ITY | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016 6 A