Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has got himself in a big pickle.
The same guy who ate at a fancy restaurant maskless during his own madate and the same guy who gave exemptions to his own businesses during the pandemic has himself a whole new problem.
Governor Newsom, a figure who’s no stranger to the limelight, has found himself at the center of outrage and calls are growing for an investigation. It’s all about an exemption he allowed to the state’s $20 minimum wage law. But not just any exemption—this one peculiarly benefits a specific group of restaurants that bake and sell bread as a standalone item, allowing them to pay their employees $16 an hour instead of the new $20 minimum wage.
Here’s where it gets dicy. The exemption coincidently benefits billionaire Greg Flynn, a longtime donor to Newsom, who owns two dozen Panera Bread franchise locations across California. According to Bloomberg (who broke the story), this carve-out could save Flynn hundreds of thousands of dollars. Talk about a significant financial break, right?
So, to be clear, a Democrat Governor who fights for workers’ rights is forcing everyone to pay their workers more except one of his major donors.
You get what you vote for folks.
The exemption has prompted the top Republican lawmaker in the state to call for a probe, questioning the fairness and transparency of this decision. “Can any franchisee get an exemption from the $20 minimum wage law, or do they need to donate more than $150k to Newsom first?” California Republican Caucus Chairman James Gallagher posted on social media, highlighting the direct link between political donations and legislative benefits.
Bloomberg’s report further entangles this web of politics and business, revealing Flynn’s prior business dealings with Newsom and his opposition to the law that led to this exemption. Despite the Newsom spokesperson’s statement that the legislation was the result of extensive negotiations, the optics of this decision have left many questioning the fairness and integrity of the process.
