California Republicans are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto four bills they say will make life harder for those already struggling to get by.
Assembly Republicans sent letters to Gov. Newsom regarding four Senate Bills that were recently passed by the legislature and sent to the governor for his signature.
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Senate Bill 81
SB 81 would require the Board of Parole Hearings to notify a parole candidate of their right to appeal a parole denial.
Parole candidates who have been denied parole after reaching their minimum eligible parole date would only have that denial upheld if the inmate presents a current, unreasonable risk of danger to others.
Assembly Republicans fear that SB 81 would create a presumption that inmates should be granted parole as early as possible if they don’t present a current risk.
“Overturning a decision to deny parole release should only occur in extraordinary cases when there has been a clear abuse of discretion by the Board,” Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher wrote. “Judges should not have their hands tied by rigid presumptions that all eligible inmates – most of whom committed serious or violent felonies – should be released from prison. We have enough un-rehabilitated felons on our streets already.”
Senate Bill 553
SB 553 would require employers to create detailed violence prevention plans, record information in a violent incident log and provide training on the plan.
Assembly Republicans argue the law would impose a costly mandate that shifts the burden of preventing workplace violence onto employers.
“Even small businesses, which are especially ill-equipped to comply with mandates like this one, would be covered by SB 553 if they are accessible to the public,” Gallagher wrote. “We should make our state more friendly to employers that generate tax revenue, create jobs, and provide valuable services and products for their communities – SB 553 does the opposite.”
Senate Bill 770
SB 770 would require the state to pursue a waiver from the federal government that would allow the state to divert funding from programs including Medicare and Medicaid to finance a single-payer healthcare system.
An estimate from the Legislative Analyst’s Office last year found that such a single-payer system would cost around $500 billion annually. SB 770 deals with one portion of financing a single-payer system, and it would raise taxes by around $300 billion annually if a single-payer plan comes to fruition.
“Too many Californians are struggling to make ends meet due to the high cost of living in our state,” Gallagher wrote. “Although the goal of SB 770 may seem enticing, this measure will be the catalyst that forces millions of Californians into poverty or out of the state entirely. We implore you to consider the devastating ramifications of pursuing a flawed and misguided single-payer policy and instead partner with the Legislature to find balanced solutions to encourage a more effective and efficient health care system.”
Senate Bill 799
SB 799 would make unemployment benefits available to employees who left their jobs due to a labor dispute.
“California’s Unemployment Insurance Fund is currently in debt of $18.6 billion, by far the largest in the nation,” Gallagher wrote. “That balance must be repaid by a combination of steadily increasing employer payroll taxes over the next decade and interest payments from the General Fund. SB 799 would add millions of dollars to that deficit at a time when the state can least afford it.”
