FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alicia Isaacs, (916) 224-8488 February 7, 2014

Perea Responds to Governor Browns Plan for Unemployment Insurance Program

SACRAMENTO Assemblymember Henry T. Perea (D-Fresno), Chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, made the following statement in response to todays announcement by the Brown Administration of major new proposals to improve the delivery of unemployment benefits to eligible Californians: Governor Brown and his team should be applauded for taking major steps to shore up efforts of the Employment Development Department (EDD). EDD has struggled under record workload and diminishing resources, and unemployed Californians have called for improved services. The Administrations plan includes hiring new staff and implementing new technologies in their phone system. I want to thank the Governor for putting together a plan that responds to the needs of unemployed Californians right away. This plan responds to many of the problems that I have been concerned about as a result of the input from constituents and from others around the state. I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration to get our unemployment insurance program back on its feet. The state is stepping up to the plate and providing the funding necessary to serve unemployed Californians, but this doesnt justify the federal government abdicating its responsibility to fund this program from the federal taxes paid by California employers.

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