31.  California this year became the first state to honor Chavez with an official paid holiday.

32.  California is among the first states to give utilities the green light to earmark a portion of electric bills to pay off new bonds.

33.  California is the first state to approve such sales to allow its utilities to prepare for competition in the power industry.

34.  California is the first state to so thoroughly restrict smoking.

35.  California recently became the first state to support the Internet Tax Freedom Act.

36.  California was the first state to manufacture license plates to finance the arts, and Florida was the second.

37.  California will become the first state in the nation tomorrow to implement safety standards intended to protect workers from carpal tunnel syndrome and other kinds of repetitive motion injuries.

38.  California is not the first state to finance basic research.

39.  California is the first state in the nation to devise a system allowing in outside power producers.

40.  California is the first state to enact such a law, although at least six others are currently considering similar legislation.