SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The Governor's mandated shutdown has left more than six million Californians unemployed and shuttered businesses. Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) released the following statement after the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) announcing the cancellation of a crucial hearing on August 11, that would have been an opportunity to audit the Employment Development Department (EDD). 

Last month, legislative Republicans asked JLAC to audit the EDD after unemployed individuals shared their horror stories about the state agency, including cases of clerical errors that resulted in longer wait times for financial relief and 150 redials with no results. The Los Angeles Times recently published an article on July 11, 2020, “It takes 150 redials’: Horror stories from Californians filing unemployment claims, getting no results”.

Signed by Republican members from both the Assembly and Senate, the letter to JLAC is a bicameral effort to demand answers from EDD.

"California Democrats killed an opportunity to audit the EDD which would have helped millions of frustrated Californians. This audit would have been an opportunity to get answers instead California Democrats blocked that effort. Republicans will continue to fight for our residents because California deserves better," Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield).

Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove represents California's 16th Senate District which encompasses large portions of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino counties and including the cities of Bakersfield, Barstow, California City, Exeter, Frazier Mountain, Joshua Tree, Mojave, Needles, Ridgecrest, Rosamond, Taft, Tehachapi, Twentynine Palms, Tulare, Visalia, Yucca Valley and portions of the Kern River Valley.