. >> i'm nannette miranda. california has the second highest fuel taxes in the country. >> terry: with summer around the corner experts expect gasoline prices to climb. average price is now $4.19, down 3 cents from a week ago. down 15 cents a month ago. one state lawmaker wants to put a cap on gas prices. nannette miranda has a look at the proposal. >> reporter: wherever you fill up in california, gasoline is painfully expensive. >> my truck is going to take 22 gallons, it's going to take $92 to fill it up. that is big hit. >> i can only do a little bit at a time. >> reporter: small relief may be on the way. excise tax would be limited to 37.5 per gallon and sales tax would apply to the first 4 gallons of gasoline. >> the excise tax you currently pay, there is also the sales tax is calculated on that, too. so taxes on taxes. and i for one decided i've had it with that. it's time to say no. >> but they wanted to remind it helps to pay for road repair so the saving you have to shell out for hit that go pothole. >

. >> i'm nannette miranda in sacramento. lawmakers move to expand gambling in california. the last crescent. [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light... ...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents? and these are the ones you'll love as dinner. grandsmini pizzas. grands! biscuit dough... plus 3 ingredients make an easy dinner everyone loves. grands! mini pizzas... from pillsbury. >>> welcome back, everyone. a threatened midnight strike by 40,000 at&t workers has been averted as talks continue this morning. a spokesperson for the communication workers of america says union members will report for work without a contract as long as progress is being made with at&t. now, that could change at any time. the main sticking points include job protection, healthcare, and copayments. four separate contracts across the nation are involved. three years ago these talks continued past the deadline and ended in agreements without a strike. >>>

nannette miranda has the story from sacramento. >> reporter: preshawn spencer is taking time off as aco raider to visit old friends in sacramento. despite working two jobs at two different restaurants the aspiring pharmacy technician finds it hard to live on minimum wage. >> electricity and water and every day things like food and gas. >> from restaurant servers to retail clerks, valets to car washers, help may be on the way. the labor committee approved a bill that would adjust the state's minimum wage annually according to the rate of inflation. it could never decrease. they want to address the widening income gap which is the highest in the state in at least 30 years. >> in sacramento, we are talking about giving tax breaks and helping out businesses. let's balance that out thinking about what plan do we have for working families across california to also have some relief in the tough economy. >> while local cities can mandate a higher minimum wage the last statewide increase took effect four years ago but southern california businessman tom benson says tying wages to inflation is

. >> i'm nannette miranda.his is the last weekend where tahoe resorts will be open but the latest storm is allowing some to extend their season. >>> welcome back. president obama is in colombia this morning for the opening of the summit of americas. before he arrived last night in the port city, about dozen secret service agents had to be sent home for alleged misconduct. they say the agents got drunk every day for a week and reports that prostitutes may have been involved. meantime, his weekly address focuses on the need to get the wealthiest americans to pay what he calls his fair share. >> when americans paid a little more in 1990s we were warned it would kill jobs but instead tens of millions of jobs follows. we have tried this trickle down before and it doesn't work. >> in colombia the economic job creation is going on selling anything obama. posters and shirts. they are selling like hot cakes this weekend. >> members. tea party are holding a rare san francisco rally this afternoon to remember tax day. the

abc7's nannette miranda explains. >> it looks like the set of hollywood's latest zombie movie, but ifou look closely the zombies are on their cell phones. it's part of the c.h.p. and office of traffic safety's "it's not worth it" campaign to get california drivers to put down their cell phones. the second annual national distracted driving awareness month kicks off april 1st. >> people are in a hurry and with technology, people trying to get multiple things done at one time and it's hard to put the phone down and drive when actually they should. >> do you know why i pulled you over? >> to hit that point home, zombies are being used in public service announcements because you really are like a zombie when driving and talking or texting on a hand-held. a study by carnegie university found the act of talking on a cell phone can reduce more than 35% of the brain activity needed for driving. >> the message is a third of your brain is not there because you are doing that on the phone while you are driving. you really become a zombie and there's inattention blindness that you don't even know

nannette miranda, abc7 news. >>> there's a group happy for the wild week that we had weather-wise. a lot of new snow, skiing still available. >> oh, yeah. they had over a foot of snow yesterday. there's still a chance of a snow shower today. but over 5,000 feet. for us today, though, put those umbrellas away. it's going to be nice and breezy. here's a live shot. partly cloudy condition but we will see more sunshine, warmer temperatures, and i'll have the accuweather seven-day forecast coming up. >> all right. also ahead, the national scrabble championships now underway with a. meet the four bay area students ♪ beth! hi! looking good. you've lost some weight. thanks. you noticed. these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right -- whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multi-grain cheerios -- 5 whole grains, 110 calories. creamy, dreamy peanut butter taste in a tempting new cereal. mmm! [ female announcer ] new multi-grain cheerios peanut butter. could be home to thousands of bacteri

nannette miranda joins us with that story. >> this depends on your perspective. companies see this as a victory. many see this as a but set back to orkers rights. from construction to restaurant servers virtually anyone making an hourly wage, the california supreme court ruling means that your boss is no longer obligated to make sure you take lunch and rest breaks. it's a relief especially for restaurant owners like mark. he found it tough to balance customers' needs skpem employee breaks mandated after a five-hour shift. >> your shift baby-sitting making sure these people have goten breaks. and they're supposed to after an hour for a break they didn't get. penalties can add up. >> the lawsuit brought on by employ yeses of brinker. they said missed breaks were a violation of california labor law. labor unions are concerned people giving up rest periods are risking their health, sometimes safety and may create a situation pitting worker against worker. >> one going work without break asks one needs that time to rest from physical labor or other jobs which worker i

nannette miranda, abc7 news. >> that's the weather i there.ere's the weather around here. >> it is going to be nice today. there's still a chance of a very light shower isolated south bay. we are going to go back up to tahoe, terry, where -- >> this is tahoe, folks. this is not our area. >> this is tahoe where there's light snow falling right now. it's currently 25 degrees in truckie. and for us, i think you are going to like what you can expect for the weekend, and i'll have the seven-day forecast coming up, as well. >> all right. also ahead, the national scrabble championships now underway. meet the four bay area students who are minding their zs ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy.

abc 7's nannette miranda is here with more on what is driving rates higher. >> residents tamara greenberg is frustrated over yet another increase in her health insurance this, time the premium jumps almost 20% bringing payments to $635. a million others and small business owner who's buy their own insurance through healthnet and anthem blue cross are affected. for many this, is the third hike in two year autos it's getting to be a huge percentage of my income just for health insurance alone. >> california association of health plans says with 85% of premium goings to medical care, new drugs and medical technology, increasing rates of chronic disease and under payment from government programs like medical are some of the biggest drivers. the california insurance commissioner has power to reject rate hikes for car, homeowners insurance but not health plan autos we're seeing each carrier raise rates year after year, generally higher than what the head wall cal costs. the public is fed up. >> the legislature is trying to pass a bill to give the commissioner more power over health insurance ra

there is nannette miranda with the story. >> california commission on status of women provides a voice to 19 million women and girls, more than half of the population. >> many feel this is a sad day because of cuts, state's commission on status of women is packing up and closing doors after high pressure years of fighting for gender equity. maybe the recent election of actress geena davis to head the agency could bring it back to live one day, for nous now it runs out of money without mission fulfilled. >> women have come a long way certainly since 1965. but have not achieved full equality. >> the commission's own report found california women still earn less than men, making 8 cents to the dollar. only 28% of the legislature are women, only one fortune 500 company in california has a woman ceo. >> if no one is there to take a look and be aware of this and say if you do that, women will be harmed then yes, i am concerned. >> jerry brown's father established this commission, now skbrery proposes to no longer fund it. it costs less than half a million per year to run. the governor is on

abc 7's nannette miranda is live with more on this. >> well, new report by the state agency behind me found that some polish bottles are mislabeled and claiping to be free when they are not. more customers are demanding products be free of what is called a toxic trio. in a random sampling finding 10 of 12 products claim to be free of at least one of the chemicals actually were not. >> this is hazardous chemical that's can cause harm to people. simply cause reproductive toxicity can cause harm to women over the long term, and they're just bad for you. >> the state says there are 48,000 salons in california and 100,000 licensed nail technicians. most ever young asian american women, working in tight quarters many of which are poorly ventilated space autos interfered with workers right to a healthy and save work place environment and also, a worker's right to know. >> some employees wear masks to cheeld them but most do not. this nail products which makes some of the polishes on the state list told the ap that it disputes a report findings and will challenge it. >> to be honest i guess m

Ñi most on-ine pokerÑi sites areñrÑi based in international country wçko live in sacrh+q'to, nannette mirandanews. >> new informationÑiÑi this morning about the $68 billion bullet train project. the route from the bay area toÑi southern california will stop short ofçóÑ$p'aheim. Ñ÷jqjñthe train's final stop wi beÑi la. stateÑi officials say terminatingÑiÑi i the 40-mile extension from los a&/1 jÑi to orange county will save theÑiÑiç state $6 billion.Ñi >> united airlines is flyingÑi out ofÑiÑi oakland international forÑi good. united saj itÑi will shut downw3 it's operations drd inÑi7s j!8>"x% thew3Ñi airline has been at oaklandÑi; yinternational forq some 75ÑiÑi years but it says the 11 flightsÑi a week to denver were noÑi[?i longer profitable.; the 39 unitedç?$qs(loyeesÑi are being offer jobs at other airpo)(s. the airline willÑi continue to operate flightsço[ outÑi ofÑiÑiÑiÑi afm. a recentlyÑi released study shows young people are driving less andÑi they like it thatçó way. abc7's transporta+ujz reporterçóÑiÑiçóÑiççç[ú heather ishieru explains why. >> if you have to drive and like to you co

abc's nannette miranda has more. flrt the nail salon industry, more and more customers and workers are demanding that products be free of what's called the toxic trio. but in a random sampling, the department of toxic substances control found 10 of 12 products that claim to be free of at least one of the chemicals actually were not. >> we care about those things because those are hazardous chemicals that can cause harm to people. simply they cause reproductive toxicity, they cause harm to women who might be pregnant and over the long term and with enough exposure, they're just bad for you. >> reporter: the state says there are about 48,000 nail salons in california and more than 100,000 licensed nail technicians. most of whom are young asian-american women working in tight quarters, many of which are poorly ventilated spaces. >> it interferes with nail salon workers' try to a healthy and safe workplace environment and also a worker's right to know. >> reporter: some employees wear masks to shield them from the chemic

abc7s nannette miranda explains. >> it looks like the set of hollywood's latest zombie movie but if youlosely thedom business are on their cell phone. it's part of the chp and office of traffic safety's "it's not worth it" campaign to get california drivers to put down their cell phones. the second national distracted driving awareness month kicks often april 1st. >> people are in a hurry and with technology, people trying to get multiple things done at one time and it's hard to put the phone down and drive when actually they should. >> do you know why i pulled you over? >> to hit that point home,dom business are being used in public service announcements because you really are like a zombie when driving and talking or texting on a hand-held. a study by carnegie university found the act of talking on a cell phone can reduce more than 35% of the brain activity needed for driving. >> the message is a third of your brain is not there because you are doing that on the phone while you are driving. you really become a zombie and there's in attention blindness that you don't even know what you

nannette miranda has the story from sacramento. >> i get sick to my stomach.m asking this court to set is right. >> bradley said he's been waiting more than three decades for closer. his sister, terry, was brutally murdered and raped in 1981 in a vineyard. her killer, michael morales, sits on death row and is one of 14 inmates who have exhausted all their appeals. just as he was about to be executed in 2006, a judge granted a reprieve, allowing his lawsuit to move forward after he claimed the three-drug lethal injection method was cruel and unusual punishment. winshell filed a lawsuit of his own saying he has waited long enough. he wants the state to move to executions by moving to a one-drug process currently used in other states. >> i consider 31 years excessive delay, injury to myself and my family. >> the death penalty has been criticized for many years. delays often result in decades passing before an inmate's execution is carried out. >> it's a sad state of affairs when those officials with the duty to execute the law care so little about the rights of v

nannette miranda has the story from sacramento. >> i get sick to my stomach.i am asking this court to set is right. >> bradley said he's been waiting more than three decades for closer. his sister, terry, was brutally murphyed and raped in 1981 in a vineyard. her killer, michael morales, sits on death row and is one of 14 inmates who have exhausted all their appeals. just as he was about to be executed in 2006, a judge granted a reprieve, allowing his lawsuit to move forward after he claimed the three-drug lethal injection method was cruel and unusual punishment. he filed a law of the his own saying he waited long enough. he wants the state to move to executions by moving to a one drug process currently used in other states. >> i consider 31 years excessive delay, injury to myself and my family. >> the death penalty has been criticized for many years. delays also result in decades passing before an inmate's excuse is carried out. >> it's a sad state of affairs when those officials with the duty to execute the law care so little about the rights of victims of c