SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Hollywood celebrities can continue to drive with animals in their laps. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is vetoing a bill to fine motorists $35 for sharing the driver’s seat with lapdogs or other animals. Republican Assemblyman Bill Maze, who introduced the bill, says the practice is distracting.

Schwarzenegger says he’s signing only bills that are “the highest priority for California.” And a lapdog ban isn’t one of them.

Utah homeowner receives, pays water bill for $9,700

OGDEN, Utah – A Utah homeowner was billed for 1.4 million gallons of water for part of last winter, and even though Rick Baur disputes it, he paid the bill.

“I was blown away,” said Baur, an Ogden resident who made good on the $9,700 bill in August.

That much water, the Standard-Examiner calculated, is enough to fill a typical home pool 70 times.

The bill was for Dec. 19 to April 4, typically when residential water consumption is at its lowest of the year. Baur said he he irrigates only about a third of his 2-acre parcel and could never use that much water in any season.

“Something strange is going on,” said Craig Frisbee, the city’s water utility manager, who said he might issue Baur a hardship credit but nonetheless defended the billing.