Legislature Passes Cheerleader Coverage Bill

The California Senate gave final approval to a bill that would require cheerleaders for professional sports teams be classified as employees, and therefore eligible for workers' compensation benefits. The Senate voted 26-9 on June 29 to pass AB 202, by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego. The Assembly passed it 56-23 on May 11, so the measure now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown for final approval. Gonzalez said in a statement that cheerleaders, who are often classified as independent contractors, are paid less than minimum wage, not paid for overtime and not reimbursed for travel expense...