Local Lawmaker's Bill to Protect Whistleblowers Spiked in Senate

RIVERSIDE, CA - A Riverside County assemblywoman's bill to establish protections for legislative staffers who report ethics or other breaches by their bosses was tabled by a Senate committee, prompting her to blast the "Democrat majority's priorities."

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, on Thursday characterized AB 1788 as an "anti-corruption" measure that should have easily attracted support. However, earlier last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee placed the proposal in its "suspense file," effectively killing it.

"This year, two former Democrat state senators were sentenced to prison for crimes they committed during their time in the Legislature, and yet the Democrats do not believe corruption is a problem," Melendez said. "Apparently, accepting tens of thousands of dollars' worth of bribes and gunrunning shoulder-fired rockets aren't matters of concern."

AB 1788 was a repeat of AB 289, the "Legislative Employee Whistleblower Protection Act," which died last August in the same committee after its chairman, Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-South Gate, refused to bring the measure forward for a vote, though it received unanimous support in the Assembly.

Melendez said AB 1788 aimed to "hold politicians accountable and restore the public's trust in their government."

She said her bill would have entitled legislators' staff members to the same protections afforded employees in state agencies and the courts under the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1999, freeing staffers to file ethics complaints or other official allegations of wrongdoing by lawmakers or underlings without fear of retaliation.

"It is clear the Democrats do not want to stand up to corruption," Melendez said. "It is shameful how misguided the Democrat majority's priorities really are."

She said she wanted provisions of existing law to be universally applied, so any member of the Legislature, or his or her agent, would be subject to penalties for using "official authority or influence for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing" a whistleblower who might be dissuaded from exposing misdeeds.

Assemblywoman Melissa A. Melendez represents the 67th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar and a portion of Hemet. It also includes the Riverside County unincorporated areas of Lake Mathews, Good Hope, Nuevo, and Winchester.

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– By City News Service. Image via Shutterstock.