Doing Battle With the Bullies : Two important bills to deal with domestic violence

The tragedies are all too familiar. A woman, abused by a husband or boyfriend, gets a temporary restraining order to keep him away. But the battering bully often takes his chances, knowing he will lose little if he violates the court order. Too often, the woman ends up hurt--or dead.

Battered spouses, primarily women, need stronger protections. They also need more shelters. Two bills, supported by Gov. Pete Wilson, would provide stiffer penalties for domestic abuse and pay for more shelters without adding to the state deficit.

SB 1343, introduced by state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach), would increase the penalties for domestic abuse convictions. Violators of restraining orders would face a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of six months in jail in place of the current 48-hour cooling-off sentence. Repeat offenders would face even steeper fines and longer prison sentences. The bill would also allow judges, under some circumstances, to proceed with a case even if the victim withdrew the complaint.

SB 5, introduced by state Sen. Robert Presley (D-Riverside), would raise by $5 the surcharge on marriage licenses to pay for more shelters in every county. The increase would raise an estimated $1 million--some of it for shelters for underserved women in rural areas, some of it to help women who don’t speak English. At Wilson’s request, the Presley bill sets aside $1 of the new fee for more police training in handling domestic cases.

This legislative package should pay off with strong bipartisan support. The Bergeson bill puts violent spouses on notice that they might spend years in prison; the Presley bill raises new revenue for more shelters. Both bills merit passage.