LGBT Seniors, Wells Fargo Bills Draw Brown's Signature

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that gives legal protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors living in long-term care facilities.

The “LGBT Seniors Bill of Rights” is one of 20 measures Brown signed Wednesday. It would ban facilities from denying admission to, transferring or evicting a resident based on gender identity, sexual orientation or HIV status. It would also require staff to use names and pronouns that correspond to how residents identify themselves.

The governor also signed a bill in response to the scandal involving Wells Fargo, which created millions of fraudulent accounts without consumers’ consent. The new law will allow consumers to sue financial institutions if fraudulent accounts are created in their names, rather than be forced into arbitration.

It was backed by trial lawyers and opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce, which labeled the measure a ‘job killer.’ The Chamber has historically had a strong success rate in defeating bills on its ‘job killer’ list – but not this time.

And Brown vetoed five measures, including one that would have increased the penalty for taking a photo or video of someone without their consent – and intentionally distributing it.  The governor wrote in his veto message that the bill’s additional $1,000 fine would not deter criminals – and that existing penalties are sufficient.