Senate Rules Committee advances three governor nominees after hours of questions on unemployment appeals, broadband and health services

The California State Senate Rules Committee voted unanimously June 11 to advance three of the governor’s nominees to the full Senate: the governor’s nominee to the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (referred to in the hearing as Senator Roth), the governor’s nominee for Secretary of Government Operations (Nick Maduro), and the governor’s nominee for Undersecretary at the California Health and Human Services Agency (Undersecretary Buchanan). Each motion was approved by roll call, 5-0, and the committee said the nominees will next appear on the Senate floor for a full confirmation vote.

Why it matters: Committee members used the hearings to press nominees on concrete operational problems — the appeals backlog from the Employment Development Department, permitting and NEPA complications in the middle-mile broadband project, and delivery challenges across health and human services including homelessness, foster care and the Master Plan for Aging. The exchanges produced detailed statistics and commitments for follow-up from nominees and committee leaders.

The committee first approved grouped “governor appointees not required to appear” items in several batches by roll call (each motion recorded as 5-0) before taking up the three nominees who appeared and answered questions. Chair McGuire and members called and recorded each roll call vote in the public record.

Unemployment appeals nominee questioned on caseload, backlog

The committee advanced the nomination of Senator Roth to the Unemployment Insurance…