On Oct. 14, California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed AB 566, legislation that would have placed conditions on a court when outsourcing jobs, including court reporters. In a statement, the governor claimed that the bill “goes too far” because, “It requires California’s courts to meet overly-detailed and — in some cases — nearly impossible requirements when entering into or renewing certain contracts.”
The bill’s author, Bob Wieckowski, called AB 556 “a transparency measure to ensure courts are working in the public’s best interest.” The bill was backed by the California Court Reporters Association and the Service Employees International Union and was drafted as a response to Placer County Superior Court’s firing of its entire staff of court reporters and replacing them with private contractors. Since California’s legislative session is over until December, the bill will need to be reintroduced next session if it is to be eventually passed into law.
