The AB 5 Awakening

This has been a year of unthinkable hardship. But in California, one source of that hardship was self-inflicted: Assembly Bill 5, passed last year, effectively bans most forms of independent work in our state. This law has taken away the livelihoods of court reporters, interpreters, translators, healthcare workers, tutors, musicians, animators, yoga instructors, tax preparers and Californians in hundreds more professions. And that was before the COVID shutdown - its effects since have been even more devastating. Earlier this year, I introduced AB 1928 to repeal this law but it was refused a committee hearing. When I tried to bring the bill to the Assembly Floor, it was voted down. Then just last week, on Aug. 24 I gave the State Assembly one more chance. With California facing historic unemployment, I introduced an amendment to repeal AB 5 once and for all. Unfortunately, though a few legislators changed their votes, the Assembly still chose to keep the law in place without regard for all of its victims. Those victims continue to grow. Small businesses are now largely prohibited from partnering with independent contractors. Many community newspapers like the one you are reading now have only been able to hold on because of a temporary exemption to the law that is set to expire. Most tragically, a great many lives have been shattered by a loss of income at a time when our state should be embracing economic flexibility and the right to earn a living. While many people may have heard about AB 5 indirectly, last week millions more became aware of its direct impact on their lives when Uber and Lyft announced they will cease operations in California if forced to comply with the law. This would not only mean a loss of jobs and supplemental income for 100,000 drivers, it would also be a significant loss for the millions of people who rely on their services. California was once the birthplace of innovation and new ideas. Now it has become the graveyard for failed ones. It's no wonder that even before COVID-19, 53 percent of residents expressed an interest in leaving the state. It has never been clearer that we need a fundamental political realignment, so our government begins to serve the people of California. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley represents the 6th Assembly District, which includes parts of El Dorado, Placer and Sacramento counties. You can follow him on Twitter @KevinKileyCA.