California has challenges, like a perpetually stormy, multi-billion-dollar deficit hanging over our heads, a public-university system, once the best in the world, with near private-school prices, and the imminent release of 33,000 state prisoners.

So South Bay Sen. Ted Lieu has done what all good politicians do: Run the hell away from that mess and focus on something easy but meaningless.

And that would be underage teens getting their fake-bake on.

Yeah, we told you previously about Lieu's healthy obsession with teen tan lines.

Now his bill to ban the under-18 set from using tanning beds in California is pretty much a done deal. It passed the state senate today, and now all it needs is Gov. Jerry Brown's signature.

Lieu:

Scientific research has shown conclusively that tanning beds cause skin cancer. The younger kids are when they start using tanning beds, the greater the cumulative damage to their skin and the more likely they are to die of skin cancer.

Problems solved.

If Brown signs this, it will go into effect Jan. 1. Tanning salons will have to card patrons, and we expect there will also be velvet ropes and a douche in the back selling ecstasy.

Thanks Ted.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.