California Governor Vetoes Jobless Benefits for Striking Workers

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed legislation Saturday to extend unemployment benefits to striking workers, dealing a blow to unions that had rallied around the bill amid a summer of labor unrest across the state.

Newsom raised concerns in a message to lawmakers that the bill (S.B. 799) would only worsen the finances of the state’s unemployment insurance fund, which took on billions in debt from the federal government during the Covid-19 pandemic. The state currently owes more than $18 billion for unemployment benefits—debt that will be repaid through higher taxes on employers—and Newsom said the state also ...