they grilled executive director of the public utilities commission today nannette miranda joins use a budget committee also wanted assurances about limo services. this is as thousands of families are hiring limo services for prom night saturday's deadly limousine fire killed five nurses alarmed state lawmakers. limos carrying less than 10 passengers are regulated by the california public utilities commission under heavy scrutiny for lax oversight that led to the 2010 san bruno pipeline explosion. >> here is another accident, another tragedy that happened in california under the p.u.c. >> very concerning is the thousands of california teenagers headed to prom over several week autos what are you doing to assure those parents in california that the limos they're children are getting into are safe? >> the p.u.c. says the californians can look up each of the 9,000 limos. >> that is a number says they've verified number and. >> there are vehicle that's deal with changes to the vehicles? >> i don't know. >> the numerous audits concluded safety is not a priority at the cpuc rattled nora camp

. >> i'm nannette miranda in sacramento.ow wage workers are saying their hours are being cut so the companies don't have to provide healthcare under obamacare. >> and this is a live look showing you the beauty of the bay. lisa argen will have your mother's day forecast in >> there is a move in sacramento to penalize companies who cut back on workers hours insurance next year when health insurance laws kick in. nannette miranda reports on the benefits and the potential risks of closing the so-called wal-mart loophole. >> my hours are being cut. >> with her schedule being reduced, full time retail associate barbara couldn't afford to buy her own healthcare anymore so she enrolled her son in a government program. >> he's on medicaid mao and i will have to enroll myself. >> they say that's a growing trend. beginning next year the federal affordable care act requires employers to provide coverage to anyone work more than 30 hours or more a week. to avoid the mandate, hours are reduced. it's forcing many low wage workers to go on

. >> i'm nannette miranda in sacramento. low wage workers are saying their hours are being cut so the companies don't have to provide healthcare under obamacare. a new move to penalize those companies. >> and we have a live look from our sutro cam. you see the thick, thick clouds. when will they dissipate? what temperatures can we expect for this mother's day? our meteorologist lisa argen will have your forecast in just >> there is a move in sacramento to penalize companies who cut back on workers hours to avoid providing them health insurance next year when health insurance laws kick in. abc7 capitol correspondent nannette miranda reports on the benefits and the potential risks of closing the so-called wal-mart loophole. >> my hours are being cut. >> with her schedule being reduced, full time retail associate barbara couldn't afford to buy her own healthcare anymore so she enrolled her son in a government program. >> he's on med-i-cal and i will have to enroll myself. >> critics say that's a growing trend. beginning next ye

nannette miranda will have that story from sacramento. here's a live look from the golden gate bridge. all right. we will be back in just a moment. >> welcome back, everyone. there is a move in sacramento to penalty eyes companies that cut back workers hours to avoid having to offer them health insurance next year when federal health reform kicks in. abc7 capital correspondent nannette miranda reports on the benefits and the potential risks of closing the ball mart loophole. >> my hours are being cut. >> with her schedule being reduced, full time retail associate barbara couldn't afford to buy her own healthcare anymore so she enrolled her son in a government program. >> he's on med-i-cal and i will have to enroll myself. >> critics say that's a growing trend. beginning next year the federal affordable care act requires employers to provide coverage to anyone work more than 30 hours or more a week. to avoid the mandate, hours are reduced. it's forcing many low wage workers to go on taxpayer paid state programs like med-i-cal. >> i don't t

in sacramento, nannette miranda, abc 7 news. >>> a lot more to come here tonight. a million dollars bail in an explosion at disneyland. coming up, the suspect is talking. what he is telling police about what happened. >>> plus, techies gather at facebook all in an effort to help veterans make the transition to the corporate world. >>> and sandhya patel here with the weather. >> crisp in the morning but the kind of heat coming that will make it feel like summer. the temperatures coming up. >>> a follow-up to the theft of outboard motors. how police solved the crime before they even knew it had actually happened. look at 'em. living on cloud nine with that u-verse wireless receiver. you see in my day, when my mom was repainting the house, you couldn't just set up a tv in the basement. i mean, come on! nope. we could only watch tv in the rooms that had a tv outlet. yeah if we wanted to watch tv someplace else, we'd have to go to my aunt sally's. have you ever sat on a plastic covered couch? [ kids cheering ] you're missing a good game over here. those kids wouldn't ha

nannette miranda explains how. >> a jury convicted the driver who killed two bay area children ten years ago because she was under the influence of prescription medication that she had gotten from several different doctors. the kids' father sued for medical malpractice, but the maximum he could get under california's medical injury compensation reform act or micra is $250,000 for each child. >> my roadblock of justice was a punch in the gut when i learned about the law in california. >> california families who have received experienced death or injury due to medical malpractice say it's time to eliminate the quarter million dollars cap set nearly four decades ago. they have teamed up with consumer watch dogs to get lawmakers to change it or else they will get a ballot measure ready for 2014 to let voters decide. >> you eliminate the cap, it's a risky maneuver. doctors say removing the limit will result in skyrocketing healthcare costs. plus they predict meritless lawsuits will drive physicians to other states just as obamacare takes effect. >> we don't want to upset the applecart when we

. >> i'm nannette miranda in sacramento. many text you if you warning at a broken meter.easure that would give you a break and ban the practice. >> here's a live look outside at 6:39 on this saturday morning from our hd roof cam. a gray morning in san francisco. you can barely make out the top of the bay bridge. lisa argen will have your forecast, tell you how things are going to change today coming >>> odds are you have parked at a broken parking meter and have come back to find a ticket on your car. it's expensive and it's usually not your fault. capitol correspondent nannette miranda reports on a move to protect you and your wallet. >> she is frustrated. after finally finding a spot that allows her to find a spot for four hours, the meter won't let her pay for any more time than 48 minutes. >> i'm going to a doctor's appointment right now, and the event should take more than 1 1/2 hours and this meter has stopped at 48 minutes. now i could get penalized. >> california law already allows drivers to park at broken meters, but local cities are passing their own ordinances

nannette miranda, abc7 news. >>> scientists say video games could help baby boomers stay sharp in golden years. they tested people between 50 and 64 in two separate groups. those who played video games or did difficult crossroad puces he would for ten hours and those who did not. they found the gamers showed improvement in problem solvering memory and perception over their counter parts who did not play games. in tests a year later they found the benefits stuck around. they believe the games can help fend off mental decline. they also saw similar results for people 65 and older. >>> a young man president obama mentioned in a speech as a living example of perseverance and dedication walked across a stage in belmont this weekend. back in 2009 in an address to school children the president singled out donny schultz, then a freshman at notre dame and the university. he had brain cancer since he was three and more than 12 surgeries. >> i find it inspiring that i can go fourth and live the dream that he put forth for kids like me, that i have gone through life experiences like i have. and stil

. >> nannette miranda, abc 7 news. >> and thanks for joining us for abc 7 news at 4:00. >> the news at:00 begins right now. >> thank you. a firsthand account of that horrifying limo fire on the san mateo bridge. tonight you'll hear from the first woman crawling out to safety as well as the driver. >> and load rood blocks firefighters hit while racing to get to a burning vehicle. >> tracking showers and thunder i'll let you know when the threat will hopefully be over. >> this is just horrific, flames were high. it seemed -- i don't know how tochl plain it. the car was engulfed. >> killing five women who were celebrating a wedding. i'm cheryl jengs. >> and i'm dan ashley. vic lee has latest on the investigation we're going to start with one of the survivors today. >> it was hard to listen to but clear she wanted to share the story. she and the other nurses are from the philippines and met here in oakland. she tell meez they were like summers. >> let's see. behind this -- driver there is a compartment. and it's -- i fire came out. and stop the car, stop the car. and then, stopped the car.

in sacramento nannette miranda abc 7 news tonight money matters some good news from facebook. the company said it's first quarter income raised 48%. this is getting more mobile ad revenue now with 1.1 billion users. the dow fell after disappointing reports on jobs and manufacturing. the fed promised to continue stimulating the economy but nasdaq lost ground as well. times not good for the electronic car maker coda automotive. coda filed for bankruptcy saying it plans to quit the auto business altogether. >> when you get in trouble with the irs who are you going call? there is an office assigned to advocate for the taxpayer. >> a lot of people don't know that. >> yes. they're pretty g it's called taxpayer advocate kit service. ands office claims it's able to get resolution in eight out of 10 cases brought to its attention. >> this is an unpleasant sex kbreerns over a check sent to irs. >> both bank of america and irs saying there snujing we can do about it. >> this is the check no one could figure out. it's an $8419 check written to the irs but for some unknown reason, the irs

nannette miranda has the story from sacramento. >> may 22 is harvey milk day in california. a date recognizing the first openly gay lawmaker. public schools encouraged to commemorate him. >> keep your kids home. >> but a family values group running radio ads calling on parents to boycott the day keeping their children home from school. >> they'll be taught in an agenda attacking our family value autos children belong to their parents not to the government f government schools are sexually indoctrinating children it's up to the parents to protect their children and two, protest. tell schools don't do it again. >> harvey milk day became state law in 2009. lawmakers wanted californians to be more aware of the slain gay rights leader's accomplishments. >> gay and besless beein people are not defined by their sexual orientation. we're defined by who we are and what we do and what we contribute to society. >> schools lose funding whenever kids are absent no matter the reason. we caught up with a school from conservative yuba city. heather says all four of her kids goring to on har

in sacramento nannette miranda abc 7 news tonight matters some good news from facebook.he company said it's first quarter income raised 48%. this is getting more mobile ad revenue now with 1.1 billion users. the dow fell after disappointing reports on jobs and manufacturing. the fed promised to continue stimulating the economy but nasdaq lost ground as well. times not good for the electronic car maker coda automotive. coda filed for bankruptcy saying it plans to quit the auto business altogether. >> when you get in trouble with the irs who are you going call? there is an office assigned to advocate for the taxpayer. >> a lot of people don't know that. >> yes. they're pretty g it's called taxpayer advocate kit service. ands office claims it's able to get resolution in eight out of 10 cases brought to its attention. >> this is an unpleasant sex kbreerns over a check sent to irs. >> both bank of america and irs saying there snujing we can do about it. >> this is the check no one could figure out. it's an $8419 check written to the irs but for some unknown reason, the irs on

nannette miranda on the move to protect you and your wallet. >>> she is frustrated after finding a spot allows her to park for four hours, the meter won't let her pay for any more time than 48 minutes. >> i have to go to a doctor's appointment right now. it shouldn't take one hour or one schaf and 38 minutes i could get penalized. >> it allows you to park at broken meters but they are passing their own ordinances togd and ticket. they are definitely a cash cow. an assemblyman wants to that i can taik local authority away and allow drivers to park there for the maximum amount of time. >> if they want the money from the parking meters they should get it correct way. sure they sd repair. >> his own district, los angeles issued more than 17,000 tickets in one year. opponents like the california public parking, so say local jurisdictions develop their own policies when it comes to broken meters and pay stations. they want the decisions to stay local. >> if i find a broken metered, i feel it's fair game. >> she is standing by with quarters how ticket happy meter readers can be. there is no in

nannette miranda reports that prison critics claim the governor is breaking the law. >> it's not a good plan but the best of the worse. >> threatened with contempt of court, the brown submitted a 46 plan to are release prison overcrowding. they have shed 42,000 inmates since 2006. but the federal courts still demand that the population be reduced another 9300 by the end of this year. a move that could jeopardize public safety. >> i'm disappointed that the judges have not taken an in-depth look in all we have done. >> the plan is finding more beds by renting space at county jails or out of state prisons. it also increases good time credits so they could be released sooner and the state could expand the criteria. >> i think it's 46 pages. >> the advocates and attorneys say the prison healthcare system provides unconstitutional care and calls the plan inadequate. without a long term fix, they want governor brown thrown in jail for failing to address the problem. >>f any of rest of us had said to the courts, go away, we're not going listen to you, he is in contempt. >> the brown plan admits

. >> i'm nannette miranda in sacramento. many text you if you warning at a broken meter. measure that would give you a break and ban the practice. >> here's a live look from our sutro cam. you can see those thick, low clouds hanging in. it's 51 degrees in san francisco right now but it's going to warm up. lisa argen will >> odds are you have parked as a broken parking meter and have come back to find a ticket on your car. it's expensive and it's usually not your fault. >> after finally finding a spot that allows her to find a spot for four hours, the meter won't let her pay for any more time than 48 minutes. >> i'm going to a doctor's appointment right now, and the event should take more than 1 1/2 hours and this meter has stopped at 48 minutes. >> california law already allows drivers to park at broken meters, but local cities are passing their own coordinates giving the authority to ticket. it's a cash cowgill. one wants to take the local authority away and allow drivers to park at a broken meter for the maximum time posted. >> if the cities want to get the money from t

he has a new plan to reduce the state's population, but nannette miranda reports prison critics claim the governor is breaking the law and they want him arrested. >>> it's not a good plan, but it's the best of the worst. >> threatened with contempt of court, the brown administration submitted under protest a 46-page plan to relieve prison overcrowding. >> the state says california has already shed 42,000 inmates since 2006 and that the prison healthcare system is up to constitutional standards. but the federal courts still demand that the population be reduced another 9300 by the end of this year, a move that could jeopardize public safety. >> i'm disappointed that the judges have not taken an in-depth look at what all we have done. >> the plan mostly relies on finding more beds by renting space at county jail or out-of-state prisons. it also increases good time credits so offenders can be released sooner and the state can expand the criteria for paroling the sick and elderly. >> i think it's 46 pages of excuses and whining. >> inmate advocates and attorneys say it still provides unco

but nannette miranda reports, prisoners claim the governor is breaking the law and they want him arrested. >>> it's not a good plan, but it's the best of the worst. >> threatened with contempt of court, the brown administration submitted under protest a 46-page plan to release prison overcrowding. >> the state says california has already shed 42,000 inmates since 2006 and that the prison healthcare system is up to constitutional standards. but the federal courts still demand that the population be reduced another 9300 by the end of this year. a move that could jeopardize public safety. >> i'm disappointed that the judges have not taken an in-depth look at what all we have done. >> it relies on finding more beds by renting space at county jail or out-of-state prisons. it also increases good time credits so offenders can be released sooner and the state can expand the criteria for paroling the sick and elderly. >> i think it's 46 pages of excuses and whining. >> inmate advocates and attorneys say it still provides unconstitutional care and calls the plan inadequate. without a long firm fix