Senate Votes to Confirm Workers’ Comp Director

Prodded by Democratic leader Sen. Don Perata, the state Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s appointment of Andrea Hoch to oversee the overhaul of California’s workers’ compensation insurance system.

The vote was the final hurdle facing Hoch’s confirmation as administrative director of the state Division of Workers’ Compensation, a job she assumed almost a year ago. It followed a 4 1/2-hour confirmation hearing Wednesday that featured impassioned attacks by labor groups on Hoch’s leadership of the workers’ comp program, and a staunch defense of her methods by representatives of the business community.

Senate President Pro Tem Perata (D-Oakland) persuaded fellow senators to provide the 21 votes -- 15 Republicans and six Democrats -- needed to confirm Hoch. Although Perata backed the governor’s appointee, he denounced regulations approved by Hoch that critics say slashed permanent disability benefits for injured workers.

Perata told lawmakers on the Senate floor that he expected the governor to revisit the controversial regulations so that benefits received by permanently disabled workers weren’t reduced. He called the alleged trend toward lower payments “imminent and ominous.”

The governor’s office said it would be open to discussing the regulations if they needed to be modified.

Hoch said she was willing to meet with lawmakers. “I’m relieved this part of the process is complete and we can get back to the tasks at hand,” she said in a statement released by her office.