Court reinstates job-safety program

A state appeals court ruled Monday that Gov. George Deukmejian of California exceeded his authority when he tried to abolish Cal-OSHA, the state program that enforces job safety for millions of workers, and ordered it reinstated. Mr. Deukmejian vetoed $7 million from the $140 million state Department of Industrial Relations budget and earmarked it as Cal-OSHA funds, and declared that that abolished the 15-year-old program.

The court ruled that California's constitutional separation of powers gives the legislature authority to set policies.