Employers Prohibited from Demanding Access to Social Media Pages of Job Applicants and Employees

Employers can’t demand user names or passwords to access the social media of employees or job applicants under legislation signed September 27 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The measure is a rare area of agreement for labor unions and employers winning support from the California Labor Federation and the California Chamber of Commerce, which saw the bill as clarifying a murky aspect of employee law.    Read more »

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Historical State Capitol Commission Now Responsible for the Whole Capitol

The Historic State Capitol Commission now officially has purview over the Capitol’s East Annex and the park surround ding the Capitol under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Previously, the commission, created in 1981, was charged with reviewing restoration and maintenance of the original Capitol building completed in 1874.

The measure clarifies that the commission is re4sponsible for advising the state on policies relating to the entire Capitol building and its grounds bound by 10th, L, 15th and N Streets.    Read more »

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Saving Water at the Car Wash Now the Law

Starting January 1, 2014, new commercial car washes must either reuse at least 60 percent of their wash and rinse water or to use at least 60 percent recycled water to wash and rinse vehicles under legislation signed September 25 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

California law already requires urban per capita water use be reduced 20 percent by the end of 2020.    Read more »

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Gov. Brown Signs Bill Limiting Liability for Commercial Spaceflight Companies

The nascent commercial space industry now has protection from lawsuits if they warn passengers that space flight is inherently dangerous under a new law signed September 21 by Gov. Jerry Brown. 

Supporters, like Virgin Galactic and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, say that reasonable liability protections will help grow their industry. Brown agreed.    Read more »

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“Governor Brown Signs Workers’ Compensation Reform to Cut Hundreds of Millions in Waste, Protect Injured Workers and Reduce Costs to Business”

That’s the claim made in the headline of a press release issued by the Democratic governor September 18. The first three paragraphs follow:

SAN DIEGO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed landmark legislation – backed by both Democrats and Republicans – to reduce costs to businesses and protect workers by cutting out hundreds of millions of dollars in waste from California’s workers’ compensation system.     Read more »

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Rendering Unto Renderers What Should Be Renderers’…

California renderers and collection centers must keep scrupulous records of transactions involving kitchen grease or face higher penalties under a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The same foul, food-flecked yuck restaurants pour into special dumpsters and hire haulers to dispose of is now so high-priced, haulers pay restaurants for the privilege of collecting it.    Read more »

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Gov. Jerry Brown to Decide If California Children Will Have More Than Two Legal Parents

California children could have more than two legal parents under legislation awaiting action by Gov. Jerry Brown. 

Backers of the bill – SB 1476 by Sen. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat – say it fixes a quirk in the law that prevents a previous custodial or biological parent from taking are of a child if the two current parents are incapable.    Read more »

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Proof of Insurance Through Smartphones OK Under New Law

California drivers will have the option to present proof of  insurance in electronic form under a bill signed September 7 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The bill — AB 1708 by Asssemblyman Mike Gatto, a Los Angeles Democrat — allows auto insurers to issue  proof of insurance  in electronic form, if  a policy holder requests it.    Read more »

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History Suggests Lawmakers Voting “No” on Workers Compensation Bill Made the Right Call

John Burton, former Senate President Pro Tempore and now head of the California Democratic Party, is fond of saying “you can never get in trouble voting ‘no’ on a big bill.”

In the final hours of the legislative session the Senate and Assembly approved – on lop-sided votes – a 160-page measure that its supporter’s claim will increase benefits by some $860 million for injured workers and reduce expenses in the costly and cumbersome state workers compensation system by $1 billion.    Read more »

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The Assembly Plays Legislative Bingo

The last days of the Assembly session are filled with mischief and the passage of numerous bills with little or no debate.

Listeners and viewers of the proceedings in the lower house during those final hours might have been struck by a largish number of seeming non sequiturs punctuating the speeches made by Assembly members.    Read more »

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