Wilson Signs Benefits Bill for Workers’ Families : Laws: Survivors of two state employees gunned down in December at the Oxnard unemployment office will be compensated.

SACRAMENTO —  Gov. Pete Wilson on Monday signed legislation giving lifetime benefits to families of state workers slain on the job, starting with the survivors of two people gunned down at the Oxnard unemployment office last December.

The new law brought a measure of financial relief to the families of Phillip Villegas, 43, of Oxnard and Anna Velasco, 42, of Fillmore, who were killed Dec. 2 when a gunman burst into the state Employment Development Department office in Oxnard and opened fire.

Karen Villegas, whose husband of 25 years was killed in the shootings, said Monday that she was elated that the bill had been signed. But she was saddened to think it took the deaths of two Ventura County residents to bring about a law that provides surviving spouses 50% of the deceased employee’s salary.

“It’s a wonderful gesture,” she said. “But of course no amount of money will ever replace Phillip.” Villegas, whose two children are college students living at home, said her husband’s income is “sorely missed.”

A member of the Velasco family declined to comment.

Three others died in the tragedy, jobs counselor Richard Bateman, Oxnard Police Detective James O’Brien and the gunman, Alan Winterbourne, who was shot to death by police. Bateman worked for the Assn. of Retarded Citizens, not the state, and thus his wife does not qualify for benefits under the new law.

Four others were wounded but survived the shooting, which was apparently spurred by Winterbourne’s frustration over repeated job rejections.

The bill’s author, state Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara) said he was “delighted” that the governor signed the legislation after Hart wrote him a lengthy letter seeking his support.

“We’re delighted, particularly in memory of the workers in Oxnard, and the family members who lost spouses there,” Hart said.

The legislation, drafted with language to include the Oxnard survivors, extends lifetime benefits to all state employees.

Previously, only police officers and select other public safety workers were eligible for such benefits.

“It’s really unfair to make the distinction that there’s one set of benefits for some public safety workers and a completely different standard for murdered workers who aren’t police officers,” Hart said. He noted that desk workers, too, have to deal at times with irate members of the public.

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It was the equity issue, in fact, that won the bill critical support from the California Taxpayers Assn., the influential lobbying group known as Cal-Tax that typically opposes bills to increase worker benefits.

Such an endorsement from a conservative watchdog group made it easier for Wilson to sign a bill that increases the state’s spending, even if a minimal amount.

“The governor was thrilled that we supported it,” said Rebecca K. Taylor, Cal-Tax senior vice president. “I think he was correct in signing it. A benefit shouldn’t go with a person, it should go with a situation.”

Jesus Arredondo, a spokesman for Wilson, said, “The governor knows that this bill will help protect the few families of state and local employees killed while providing a service to the citizens of California.”

Arredondo said Wilson was aware the benefit was already available to peace officers, and felt it therefore should be extended to others.

Irma Lopez, a state worker who was wounded in the hip during the shootings and who continues to battle bouts of severe sciatic nerve pain, said it is only fair that the benefits should be extended to state office workers as well.

“When these laws were created, we never thought that other state employees would be killed by violence in the workplace,” said Lopez, who organized a letter-writing campaign in support of the bill. “It’s just a sign of what’s going on in our society now.”

According to the new law, if a state worker is killed on the job in an act of violence, a surviving spouse will get a monthly allowance until death, regardless of whether he or she remarries. The allowance is 50% of the employee’s average monthly salary.

Current law provided survivors with 50% of the highest annual salary for six months, a $5,000 insurance lump sum and retirement benefits with interest.

Hart’s staff estimated the bill’s annual cost at under $50,000 to $100,000 a year because deliberate killings of state workers in the line of duty are rare.

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At one point, it appeared as if the bill might become too costly to be passed by the Legislature.

In fact, Cal-Tax and the Wilson Administration briefly opposed the bill after amendments were added to include highway maintenance workers--a separate classification of state workers--as beneficiaries.

But Hart ultimately dropped the amendments, and the bill passed both houses of the Legislature.

In addition to Hart, Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) and Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria) voted for the bill. Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills) voted against the bill and Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard) abstained.

Craft reported from Sacramento and Miller from Ventura.