Putting Your Name on This List Could Hand You $1,270 on Friday

URGENT: On Tuesday, a simple set of instructions will be sent out to an elite group of investors. The folks in this group will have the opportunity to place a 10-minute trade that could double their money by Friday. Consider this your invitation to join them. The next trade is just days away.

Republicans criticize California's new fast food law that appears to benefit a Newsom campaign donor

ADAM BEAM
February 29, 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Republican lawmakers in California are criticizing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom because a new law he signed to raise the minimum wage for fast food workers includes an exception that benefits one of his wealthy campaign donors.

California's minimum wage is $16 per hour. But starting April 1, most fast-food restaurants in the state must pay their workers at least $20 an hour under legislation Newsom signed last year to much fanfare. It doesn't apply to restaurants that have on-site bakeries and sell bread as a stand-alone menu item, like Panera Bread.

That exception puzzled some industry watchers and was never fully explained by Newsom or other supporters of the law. But Bloomberg News on Wednesday reported it was connected to opposition from Panera Bread franchisee Greg Flynn, whose company owns 24 of the restaurants in California and has donated to Newsom's campaigns.

The Flynn Group and Flynn Properties operate 2,600 restaurants and fitness centers across 44 states, according to the company's website. Campaign finance records show Flynn Properties and Greg Flynn -- the founder, chairman and CEO -- have donated $223,200 to Newsom's political campaigns since 2017. That included a $100,000 donation to Newsom's campaign to defeat a recall attempt in 2021.

The minimum wage law passed in 2023. In 2022, Flynn had publicly opposed a similar proposal, writing in an op-ed in Capitol Weekly that it would "effectively kill the franchise business model in the state."

A message left with the Flynn Group was not returned on Thursday. Flynn told Bloomberg he did not play a role in crafting the exemption.

Republican leaders in the state Legislature on Thursday blasted the possible connection.

"Put simply, campaign contributions should not buy carveouts in legislation," Republican state Senate leader Brian Jones said. "It's unacceptable."

Assemblymember James Gallagher, the Republican leader in the assembly, said Attorney General Rob Bonta or another entity responsible for investigating conflicts of interest should look into the matter.

"This exemption, there is no explanation for it. Someone had to push for it," he said.

Newsom's office did not provide a comment to The Associated Press. But a spokesperson for his office told the San Francisco Chronicle that the law "was the result of countless hours of negotiations with dozens of stakeholders over two years."

The law was authored by Assemblymember Chris Holden, a Democrat from Pasadena. Holden told reporters Thursday he was not involved in the negotiations over the bill's final amendments, which included the $20 minimum wage increase and the exemption for bakeries. He said those talks happened between the business community and labor unions -- groups Holden said were brought together "through the governor's leadership."

Holden said he did not know Flynn or his status as a Newsom campaign donor. He declined to discuss if there were any legitimate policy reasons for exempting bakeries from the law.

"I'm not going to try to start parceling every individual group," Holden said. "The way that the bill moved forward, everyone who's in is in."

The law represented a compromise between labor unions and business groups. Tia Orr, executive director of the Service Employees International Union California, said the law was "a transformational step toward an economy that works for all, not just billionaires."

"Like all transformational initiatives, it addressed difficult questions around its scope, including what constitutes a fast-food restaurant as opposed to a bakery, for example, and it involved literally hundreds of businesses in discussions," Orr said. "But the big picture is clear: a half million fast food workers in our state now have the power to improve their workplaces."

Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Berkeley, said the issue is reminiscent of when Newsom went to dinner at the French Laundry during the pandemic at a time when he was urging people to avoid public gatherings to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. That issue gave momentum to an effort to recall Newsom from office, which eventually qualified for the ballot in 2021 but was ultimately unsuccessful.

"The last time the governor got in the middle of a restaurant-related controversy, his hesitation to address it turned a small problem into a much bigger one. Hopefully that won't be the case this time, " Schur said. "It's more than possible that there is a perfectly reasonable substantive policy based reason for this exception. But if that reason exists, the governor is obligated to share it with the people of California. Otherwise they'll assume that he did a big favor for a big donor."

Lawmakers are considering more exemptions for the fast-food minimum wage increase. On Thursday, the state Senate approved a bill that would exclude fast-food restaurants in "airports, hotels, large event centers, theme parks, museums, gambling establishments, corporate campuses and certain public lands."

Holden said workers in these restaurants are attempting to negotiate salaries higher than $20 per hour. He said they were concerned being included in the minimum wage law would hurt those negotiations.

"We want to allow for for those industries that can go and get more, to allow them to do so," Holden said.

Continue Reading...

Popular

Trump keeps saying the GOP mega bill will eliminate taxes on Social Security. It does not

WASHINGTON (AP) — President keeps saying that Republicans' mega legislation will eliminate taxes on federal benefits.

Warren Buffett Skips Big Banks Like JPMorgan and Wells Fargo, Bets $459 Million On This One Asset

Warren Buffett has shifted his investment strategy, investing $459 million in Sirius XM after selling his stakes in Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo.

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

While headlines scream "Tesla is doomed"...Jeff Brown has uncovered a revolutionary AI breakthrough buried inside Tesla's labs. One that is helping AI escape from our computer screens and manifest itself here in the real world all while creating a 25,000% growth market explosion starting as early as July 23rd.

Paramount to pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over '60 Minutes' interview

In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS' “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.

AstraZeneca In $15 Billion Talks For Drug That Could Upend Lung Cancer Treatment

AstraZeneca is in advanced talks with Summit Therapeutics over a potential $15 billion deal for the lung cancer drug ivonescimab.

Tariff-Driven Cash Payouts, Right Off Your Smart Phone? - Ad

The U.S. Treasury has raked in $15B from Trump's tariffs - and now, thanks to Title 15, you could pocket $100-$1,000 upfront payouts yourself. No stocks needed. Just use your phone and my #1 income strategy to start collecting now.

ProKidney Stock Shoots Up Over 8% After Hours After Staggering 515% Rally On Wednesday

ProKidney (NASDAQ: PROK) experienced a surge of 515% during Tuesday's trading session and gained additional 8.58% after-hours to $4.05 on positive Phase 2 trial results, with trading volume seeing a jump to 39.8 million shares from an average of 1.12 million.

Back This Medical AI Tech - Ad

You don't often find healthcare tech company valued at $4M. HeartSciences is an exception. With $75M invested, including R&D, clinical trials, and product development, their patented AI software is approaching FDA submission, a potential major inflection point.

Is Elon's Empire Crumbling? - Ad

Jeff Brown - the legend who called Tesla and Nvidia early - says Elon is about to launch a $25T AI revolution. This isn't another chatbot. It's real-world AI that could 14X the impact of ChatGPT. But after July 23rd, it may be too late.

Award-winning international correspondent launches a new journalism platform

NEW YORK (AP) — Jane Ferguson has won awards for unflinching reporting from dangerous lands including Afghanistan, Somalia and Yemen. So she was unlikely to be intimidated by seeking financing for a new journalism platform, despite tough times for the news industry.

OpenAI Says Tokens Are Not Equity, No Partnership With Robinhood: Musk Says AI Company's Equity 'Is Fake'

OpenAI says the "OpenAI tokens" offered by Robinhood are not OpenAI equity and clarified that it has no partnership or involvement with Robinhood.

FDA Submission Expected This Summer - Invest Before It Happens - Ad

This company is making heart disease easier to detect with AI. Their tech has officially been designated a "Breakthrough" by the FDA. You now have an opportunity to get in at a potential inflection point.

Rescuers search for survivors after Houthi attack on cargo ship in the Red Sea

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rescuers launched a search Wednesday for survivors of a Liberian-flagged cargo ship that came under attack from in the Red Sea, authorities said. At least three mariners were killed and two were wounded.

UnitedHealthcare Group, Gryphon Digital Mining, AMC Entertainment, Centene, And Tesla: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today

Major U.S. indices were mixed on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising 0.9% to 44,494.94 and the S&P 500 declining 0.1% to 6,198.01. The Nasdaq fell 0.8% to 20,202.89. These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors throughout the day:

How to Hack a $1.3T Market - Ad

Forget concrete. The new foundation for real estate success is digital, and Pacaso leads the way. Their tech unlocks a $1.3T real estate market. They've already earned $110M+ in gross profits in their operating history and reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

Trump Says Israel Ready For 60 Day Ceasefire In Gaza, Hopes Hamas Takes The Deal Because It Won't 'Get Better'

Trump proposed 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, which Israel has agreed to. Qatar and Egypt will deliver the proposal to Hamas. Trump meets Netanyahu next week.

Here's how millions of people could lose health insurance if Trump's tax bill becomes law

WASHINGTON (AP) — Roughly 11.8 million adults and children will be at risk for losing health insurance if Republicans' domestic policy package becomes a law.

Crypto Genius: These 5 Altcoins Could Crush Bitcoin in 2025 - Ad

On August 30th, two powerful "Wealth Drivers" ignite what could be a 2025 super bull run-backed by Trump. The altcoin market as a whole has already soared 132,721% over the past ten years and could surge again. A $900 stake could turn into $108K over 12 months. This is The Great Gain of 2025.

China lifts a nearly 2-year ban on seafood from Japan over Fukushima wastewater

BEIJING (AP) — China has to seafood from Japan after a nearly two-year ban over the discharge of slightly radioactive wastewater from the tsunami-destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Sam Altman's Endorsement Skyrockets Crib Sales, Cradlewise CEO Reveals

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has been credited with a significant sales boost for crib manufacturer Cradlewise, following his endorsement of the product.

What's inside Elon's building in Memphis will shock you - Ad

Inside Elon Musk's Memphis site lies a supercomputer built to power the world's first superhuman AI. It could make Elon a trillionaire - and new millionaires, too. With just $500, you could get in before the July 1st funding window closes.

Lisa Murkowski Defends Alaska Carveouts As Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders And Rand Paul Condemn Trump's 'Big Beautiful' Bill: 'Not Good Enough For The Rest Of Our Nation'

Senators across party lines are fiercely divided over Donald Trump's $3.3 trillion "Big Beautiful Bill," which narrowly passed the Senate and now heads to the House amid concerns over debt, tax cuts, and social program rollbacks.

FDA vaccine official restricted COVID vaccine approvals against the advice of agency staff

WASHINGTON (AP) — The working under Health Secretary recently of two COVID-19 vaccines, disregarding recommendations from government scientists, according to federal documents released Wednesday.

Elon's Greatest Invention... Hidden in South Memphis? - Ad

In South Memphis, I uncovered what could be Elon Musk's biggest invention yet. It's so secretive, rivals are flying drones to spy on it. If you're serious about investing in AI, now's the time to see what's really going on inside those walls.

North Koreans swim and play at a beach resort touted as a boost for tourism

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Koreans swam, rode water park slides and enjoyed other water activities at a newly opened state media reported Wednesday, as the country largely maintains a ban on the entry of foreign tourists.

Putting Your Name on This List Could Hand You $1,270 on Friday - Ad

URGENT: On Tuesday, a simple set of instructions will be sent out to an elite group of investors. The folks in this group will have the opportunity to place a 10-minute trade that could double their money by Friday. Consider this your invitation to join them. The next trade is just days away.

Prokidney, Soundhound AI, Quantumscape, Intel, And Nvidia: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today

U.S. major indices ended mixed on Tuesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped nearly 0.4% to 44,240.76 and the S&P 500 edged down 0.1% to 6,225.52.

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

While headlines scream "Tesla is doomed"...Jeff Brown has uncovered a revolutionary AI breakthrough buried inside Tesla's labs. One that is helping AI escape from our computer screens and manifest itself here in the real world all while creating a 25,000% growth market explosion starting as early as July 23rd.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau dismisses $95M overdraft case vs. Navy Federal Credit Union

NEW YORK (AP) — Navy Federal Credit Union will no longer have to refund $80 million to servicemen and women for illegally charging them overdraft fees on their accounts, after the President Donald Trump-led Consumer Financial Protection Bureau moved to dismiss the case.

Senate GOP removes tax on solar and wind energy but dismantles climate law passed by Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) — The approved by the Senate Tuesday removes a proposed tax on solar and wind energy projects but quickly phases out tax credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy.

Tariff-Driven Cash Payouts, Right Off Your Smart Phone? - Ad

The U.S. Treasury has raked in $15B from Trump's tariffs - and now, thanks to Title 15, you could pocket $100-$1,000 upfront payouts yourself. No stocks needed. Just use your phone and my #1 income strategy to start collecting now.

Carney Faces Cross-Border Pressure Amid High-Stakes US Trade Talks

Carney faces growing criticism at home as Trump threatens steep tariffs amid tense Canada-U.S. trade negotiations.

Feihe Struggles Amid China's Dairy Oversupply And Falling Birth Rates

Declining birth rates and China's slowing economy are taking a toll on the company and its peers as they grapple with oversupply and asset impairments on excess inventory

Back This Medical AI Tech - Ad

You don't often find healthcare tech company valued at $4M. HeartSciences is an exception. With $75M invested, including R&D, clinical trials, and product development, their patented AI software is approaching FDA submission, a potential major inflection point.

Trash and tension mount in Philadelphia on Day 8 of workers strike, while some seek pop-up haulers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — As trash and tempers heat up across Philadelphia on by blue-collar city workers Tuesday, some residents and small business owners are hiring pop-up hauling services to clear their blocks of garbage, even as they broadly support the union’s .

Trending Now

Information, charts or examples are for illustration and educational purposes only and not for individualized investment management This message contains commercial elements, such as advertising. We only send these offers to those who have opted in to our newsletter. Past performance is not indicative of future results. For these reasons we strongly suggest trading in a DEMO/Simulated account. The information provided by us is for educational and informational purposes only. We make no representations or warranties concerning the products, practices or procedures of any company or entity mentioned or recommended and have not determined if the statements and opinions of the advertiser are accurate, correct or truthful. If you use, act upon or make decisions in reliance on information contained or any external source linked within it, you do so at your own peril and agree to hold us, our officers, directors, shareholders, affiliates and agents without fault.

Copyright trendadvisor.net
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service