Free Republic

SACRAMENTO— A state board on Thursday granted 14 rape victims who had been working as prostitutes the right to be compensated, the first such action since it reversed its policy on the issue last year. The California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board took the action on behalf of women whose claims had previously been denied. The victims' next step is to submit the amount of compensation they are seeking. The decision follows a vote by the board in December to eliminate a policy that banned compensation for those who were attacked while working as prostitutes. The new rules allow...

<p>Democratic leaders, trying to nudge the sputtering talks about reforming workers' compensation, announced a new plan Monday to deal with a major sticking point - regulation of the insurance rates.</p> <p>But the new plan was quickly criticized by Republicans and insurance companies, raising doubts about whether lawmakers will pass legislation before an initiative backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is scheduled to be submitted for qualification next week.</p>