RESUMING

The legislature is back in session.

But tax collections continue to miss budget targets, so the spectre of the budget continues to haunt California.

This is the reality. It’s not a happy backdrop for those of us in the applicant bar and labor who hoped that a change of administrations and a solid Democratic legislative majority would lead to some significant substantive gains for workers.

We’ll see in coming weeks how some of the bills play out.

Already, however, there is pushback from within Brown’s Administration.
The Department of Finance has apparently expressed concern about the cost to the state of a bill that would loosen the Draconian 104 week cap on temporary disability benefits.

Anthony York has written a good piece in the Los Angeles Times, “Jerry Brown Scales Back Ambitions as Fiscal Picture Remains Shaky”, focusing on the situation in which Brown finds himself. Brown now licks his wounds from one budget fight and considers the reality that other budget fights may be around the corner.

York’s piece should be required reading for anyone who is interested in the politics of workers’ comp:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me … 0235.story

Stay tuned.

Julius Young
www.workerscompzone.com
www.boxerlaw.com

Category: Political developments