A measure that would give striking workers in California access to unemployment benefits is one step closer to passing.
The state assembly voted in favor of the measure on Monday afternoon. Next up, it needs the approval of the Senate Labor Committee, then it must pass the Senate floor on a concurrence vote, then it would advance to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.
Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, whose members have been on strike nearly all summer, have backed the measure.
The bill would make California just the third state to do this, joining New York and New Jersey. But unlike most states, California currently doesn’t have enough money to pay the benefits owed to unemployed workers.
Business groups who oppose the bill argue making more people eligible for those checks will only make the problem worse.