Budget Would Boost SIBTF Staff; Vetoed Reform Bill Returns

California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a preliminary budget that would nearly triple staffing for the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund and once again called for comprehensive reform of the embattled program. Meanwhile, Assemblymember Liz Ortega, D-San Leandro, on Monday reintroduced a bill that would revise eligibility criteria for SIBTF claims and that is virtually identical to a measure Newsom vetoed in October. The governor, in vetoing last year's measure, said he called on the Department of Industrial Relations and the Division of Workers' Compensation to develop a comprehe...