Bill would bar job posts from saying unemployed need not apply

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Unemployed Californians face a form of discrimination when employers only consider applicants who already have jobs, some state lawmakers say.

In response, the state Senate has approved a measure that prohibits employers from putting out advertisements that say an applicant’s current employment is a requirement for a job or that the employer will not consider someone who is unemployed.

‘In these tough economic times, it would seem unfair to punish those who have lost jobs through no fault of their own,’ said Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) in support of AB 1450. The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Michael Allen (D-Santa Rosa) and approved Wednesday.

The dire jobs picture is a theme of many bills considered this week by the Legislature. Assemblyman Henry T. Perea believes jobs will be created by a measure he introduced that requires the High Speed Rail Authority to make every effort to buy bullet trains and related equipment made in California.

“Even though the debate about the route high speed rail will take goes on, we can all agree that every effort must be made to purchase equipment made in California,’ said Perea after the Assembly sent his AB 16 to Gov. Jerry Brown. ‘The more we manufacture here, the more people we will be able to put back to work.”

Other lawmakers worried the measure would only add to cost overruns on the bullet train project if contractors feel pressured to use California manufacturers.

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-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento