Despite a unanimous vote by the state assembly approving a bill adding wording to a tidelands grant that would include La Jolla’s harbor seal colony among a string of uses at the Children’s Pool, attorneys say they are doubtful Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign the bill soon. “[The vote] was unanimous, 71 to 0,” said Brian Pease, the SealWatch attorney for the Animal Protection and Rescue League. Pease battled in federal and state court for the Children’s Pool seal colony. “[Schwarzenegger’s signature] would be the next step but Schwarzenegger said he would veto anything not related to the budget, so [Stete Sen. Christine] Kehoe said she will hold it until the budget passes,” Pease said. Kehoe created the bill intending to give San Diego City Council members final authority over the area, which adds marine mammal viewing to a 1931 state tidelands grant affecting La Jolla’s Children’s Pool. Pease and attorneys for the city of San Diego said they expected the legislation could affect an ongoing state court battle, in which Superior Court Judge Yuri Hoffman ordered dispersal of the seals. Attorneys said the legislation could save the Children’s Pool harbor seal colony. Pease said Hoffman ordered a July 20 hearing that would choose a seal dispersal plan. “If Judge Hoffman orders the seals dispersed on Monday, I’ll file an emergency appeal with the 9th Circuit,” Pease said. Meanwhile, Kehoe said in a written statement that here SB 428 would “amend the Children’s Pool trust so that it may be used as a marine sanctuary, with the San Diego City Council ultimately deciding whether to allow seals on the Children’s Pool beach.” For more information about Kehoe’s bill, visit www.senate.ca.gov/kehoe. For more information about the Children’s Pool or its history, visit www.senate.ca.gov/kehoe, www.childrenspool.org, www.friendsoftheseals.com www.aprl.org or www.aprl.org /seals.html.