Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill authored by influential Democratic Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez that would have banned employers from imposing arbitration agreements as a condition of hiring.
The bill was framed as a way of protecting women from sexual harassment on the job by making it easier for them to sue. But opponents in the business community said it would just benefit personal injury lawyers and delay settlements.
In his veto message, Brown said he believed the bill violated federal law as established by a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, one of the opponents of Assembly Bill 3080, called the legislation “incredibly flawed” and praised Brown for “doing the right thing.”
“Governor Brown’s common-sense approach protects businesses from the type of unwarranted lawsuits that eliminate jobs, and in some cases, force businesses to close or leave the state,” the organization said in a statement.
In a tweet, Gonzalez criticized “the Governor’s inaction on legislation to protect women in low-wage jobs.”
