CA: State legislators OK bill requiring 'living wage'

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | 9/11/03 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO – Most state workers and employees of certain companies that do business with the state would have to be paid a "living wage" of at least $10 an hour under legislation sent to Gov. Gray Davis yesterday.

The measure by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Santa Clara, was given final approval by the Assembly on a 43-33 vote that accepted Senate amendments to the legislation.

Under the bill, certain companies that sign state contracts of $50,000 or more would have to pay their employees at least $10 an hour if they also provided the workers with health insurance.

For companies with no health coverage, the minimum wage would be $12 an hour.

The wage requirement would be adjusted each year to reflect inflation.

The bill includes a number of exemptions, including current contracts and contracts for janitorial, housekeeping, window washing and security services if the wages were at least 85 percent of comparable state pay.

It also would exempt companies that sign union contracts with their employees.

Republicans charged the bill was designed to raise the minimum wage to $10 in California and that it would cost jobs.

Assemblywoman Jackie Goldberg, D-Los Angeles, said a similar "living wage" ordinance adopted by the city of Los Angeles helped the economy and didn't result in a shortage of bids for city contracts.

Also yesterday, prospective foster parents will get more anti-discrimination training under a bill signed by Davis requiring them to respect the race, ethnicity, religion and sexual preference of foster care children.

The bill's author, Assemblywoman Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, said the bill will protect 250,000 foster children from living in homes where they're singled out, insulted or assaulted based on their backgrounds. It also makes foster parents watch training presentations about the state's anti-discrimination law.

Republicans objected to the bill earlier this year, calling it part of a social agenda to advance gay rights, and predicted the bill would cause a greater shortage of foster parents.

Opponents said most foster parents have faith-based households and believe homosexuality is wrong.

"Discrimination, in any form, humiliates people and foster children are especially vulnerable to this," Davis said.

In other legislative action yesterday:

 Davis signed SB90, by Sen. Tom Torlakson, D-Martinez, which makes landlords provide receipts and documents related to charges deducted from renter's security deposit.

 The governor signed SB515, by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, which limits frivolous lawsuits filed by corporations against consumers.

 The Assembly sent to the Senate SB892, by Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City, which requires public and private schools to meet maintenance standards for restrooms. It also allows the state to withhold funds from schools that fail to keep bathrooms clean.

 The Senate passed and sent to the Assembly AB1340, by Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, which requires oil refiners, producers and operators to submit weekly rather than monthly reports to California Energy Commission about inventory levels, imports and exports.

 The Senate also passed and sent to the Assembly AB455, by Chu, which bans by 2006 packaging materials that include lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent chromium.

[ChewedGum]

No doubt. It's like someone left the candy store unlocked and they are all just filling their mouths and pockets with outrages amounts. I'm thinking Aztlan sounds like a good idea now...better then the Federal Government bailing out CA with the rest of our money.

Gum

[NeoCaveman]

I'm curious, has Schwartzenegger presented a response to this?

Not that I am aware of. For a guy who's talking about bringing back business I can't imagine he'd go along with this. Of course if Davis were to sign it then it would be too late to veto.

The only candidates that could possibly be for this legislation would be Bustamonte, the Greenie, or Huffington.

[Congressman Billybob]

This is one more example of the "Californication" of the nation. More businesses will be packing up and running for the Arizona or Nevada borders as a result of this piece of legislation. The first rule of finding yourself in a hole is "Stop digging."

In the shadow of the richly deserved recall of Gray Davis, the state of California continues its economic suicide by legislature. Pathetic.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Paying the Wrong Piper," discussion thread on FR. Article also on ChronWatch.

[wku man]

Yeah, it kind of reminds me of the Italian sailors who contracted the Boubonic Plague, then returned to Italy, whereupon it began to spread throughout Europe. The coming exodus from Kalifornia will spread the CommieLib Plague throughout the rest of the West (even more than has already happened), and eventually to the rest of the nation.

When Kalifornia goes, the shock will affect us all. Get ready folks...the edge of the cliff is fast approaching.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Kalifornia would be a lot better off prohibiting business with anybody who hired illegal aliens, rather than setting artifically high wage and benefit rates.

Yup, that's it in a nutshell. On the state level they should be writing legislation to toughen the laws against illegal aliens working. They don't belong here to begin with and are hugely responsible for driving wages down.

[LurkedLongEnough]

This is idiocy! Density and displacement will make California slide off into the ocean very soon.

[chiller]

Could the CA assembly be taunting Schwarzenegger to force him to take positions designed to weaken him in the election?

Writing legislation for this purpose is beyond belief, but it is California.

[Wallace T.]

Before it adjourns, will the California legislature make monogamous heterosexual marriages invalid? Will it declare sexual activity of any and all types, even beastiality and pederasty, not only as civil rights but as permissible when conducted in public? Will it rename the California cities whose names derive from Catholic saints? Will it make homeschooling illegal? Will it increase the income taxes on higher incomes to 50% (of course with generous deductions to entertainment related expenses)? Will it request the Marines leave Camp Pendleton and the Air Force leave Edwards AFB? Will it make narcotics legal (with the State government having a monopoly on sales)? Will it declare defecating or urinating on all property, public or private, a civil right protected to the full extent of the law? Will it ban all churches that believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and are not affiliated with the National Council of Churches?

Then finally, will it make Spanish the mandatory and only language to be used in government and business dealings in California?

[tophat9000]

Well ANY Republican should see this as insane from the get go .. lets see how long it takes Arnold to have a position

[Wright is right!]

I don't know if anyone who's replied so far has actually read all the way thru, but here is who the $10 minimum wage applies to:

Any company with a contract with the State of more than $50,000. Any State agency.

BUT ----------

The bill includes a number of exemptions, including current contracts and contracts for janitorial, housekeeping, window washing and security services if the wages were at least 85 percent of comparable state pay. It also would exempt companies that sign union contracts with their employees.

What company that has a big contract with the State would have lower-wage jobs that aren't janitorial, housekeeping, etc? All state employees are already either making more than 10 clams an hour OR are union members.

And what state employees are there that are not either union members OR are already making 10 clams OR are in the exempt category?

I'm guessing that a thorough analysis would show that this bill is not going to cost ANYONE - including the State of Colly Farnia - one more thin dime. Because anyone covered by the bill is either already making that much or is a union member or is exempt.

Political grandstanding at its finest.

Michael

[Teacher317]

Can anyone tell me why the Cali legislature hates business, comerce, energy and employment so much?

[tophat9000]

sorry... but all company have mim. wage people... my computer service company has to pay this to the new 18 year old flunky receptionist?

[mhking]

They truly want to run business completely out of California, don't they?

[rudypoot]

California gets what it deserves.

[CdMGuy]

Simple. The California legislature is full of left wing crooks. It has been for quite a few years. It was under Pete Wilson. But since they knew he would veto this crap, most of it never passed the legislature. However, note that it was still introduced in the legislature. The junk that did pass, he vetoed.

When Davis became governor, a lot more of this stuff was passed and sent to his desk. Actually, he vetoed some of it but not as much as Wilson.

Now, the legislature is sending all of this crap up to Davis because he is willing to sign anything to get the votes to remain in office. The dumb shi-t doesn't get it. He signed the "illegal aliens can get drivers licenses" bill, but now that he has, all the Mexicans are saying they will vote for Bust-my-wallet. So, all he did was PO the white vote. Plus there is already a petition to put the license issue on the ballot where it will likely be reversed.

As for the legislature itself, it is out of sync with the population demographics. About 5% of the legislature is gay and lesbian. They have one agenda, and that is to shove their lifestyle down the throats of everyone else. There is an over-proportional representation of Latinos in the legislature because a few years ago, there was a concerted effort by Latino leaders to maximize Latino representation in the legislature. There are a bunch of left wing 1960s whites also. They all scratch each other's back. They re-district every 10 years to ensure that both houses of the legislature remain Democrat. Lastly, many of these people are out and out crooks.

[tophat9000]

California gets what it deserves.

You know I agree with you.... either we step up... or lay down

[ladylib]

Why do they hate the families that have to send their kids to their deplorable schools?

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/living/education/6735463.htm

[ought-six]

This legislation decrees that the minimum wage in California, for a full-time emploee, will now be $25,000 per year. California has just passed the legislation that will effectively kill the state. Very, very few businesses will be able to meet that standard, and will be forced to either leave the state or close up shop. As a former Californian (who still has family and land in the state), I am afraid that the Golden State's goose has now been killed, and the citizens of the state, by their overwhelming support of Democrats and other leftist politicians, have no one to blame but themselves. God, I'm glad I escaped that zoo when I did, some 24 years ago.

[NormsRevenge]

(insert Death Fugue March song here) :-(

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Very, very few businesses will be able to meet that standard, and will be forced to either leave the state or close up shop.

At least with a Republican governor he might be able to veto some of this destructive legislation, but democrats are so anti-business they will never give up. Sad to see that beautiful state go the way it is.