Court employees can rat out their county and state bosses for fraud, waste and abuse without the fear of retaliation, according to legislation Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed last week. [DailyJournal]
Driven by concerns over spending on a statewide computer system, the new legislation provides whistleblower protection to judicial employees. The law allows employees of superior and appellate courts as well as administrative office employees to report “improper governmental activity” to the state auditor without the fear of retaliation.
Under the law, which is slated to take effect on Jan. 1, if an employee has been retaliated against, they can file a complaint with the state personnel board. They can also elect to file a civil suit.
AB 1749, by Assembly members Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, and Audra Strickland, R-Thousand Oaks, sailed through the Legislature with almost no opposition.
