The nursing board, which has been in existence for more than 100 years, investigated complaints against nurses and also processed applications for new nurses. Gov. Brown vetoed a bill that would have extended the nursing board’s existence until 2016, citing the proposal “would dramatically expand pension benefits for […] board investigators” and makes “no sense fiscally and flies in the face of much needed pension reform,” according to a statement.
As a result of the veto, the state’s Department of Consumer Affairs was granted authority to oversee the dissolved board’s everyday operations. The move has sparked criticism from former members of the nursing board, including the former president Jeannine Graves. Ms. Graves argues the board’s disbanding is a disservice to the public as well as nurses, who are entitled to due process if they are accused of any misconduct.
Another former public member of the board, Richard Rice, who served as a former senior adviser to then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, also criticized the board’s dissolution. He argued the move put a stop to the board’s ongoing policy work, including more robust legislation that would require nursing schools to teach clinical and classroom skills, according to the report.
However, state government officials said although the board has been dissolved, its work is still being done.
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