Assembly Passes ‘Whistle-Blower’ Law

SACRAMENTO — In a 72-0 vote, the Assembly on Wednesday passed and sent to the Senate a measure calling for fines of up to $50,000 for government supervisors who threaten or punish employees for exposing waste, wrongdoing or public health threats.

The so-called “whistle blower” law was proposed by Assemblyman Larry Stirling (R-San Diego), who has charged that a Hillcrest mental hospital psychiatrist is being punished by county mental health officials for exposing problems at the facility.

Stirling presented the psychiatrist, Dr. Zalman Magid, and three other present and former Hillcrest professional staffers with resolutions earlier this week commending them for showing “outstanding courage, integrity and vision by helping the state of California to identify unresolved problems in the delivery of . . . mental health services.”