CRATV: AB 5 Victims Demand to Be Heard - California Republican Assembly

Independent Contractors and Others Say
AB 1928 Deserves a Hearing

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – AB 5, California’s new independent contractor law, has upended workplaces throughout the state. On Wednesday, February 26, 2020, many of those affected will gather at the state capitol demanding that the state legislature hear their stories and repeal the law.

“AB 5 has destroyed the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Californians. And legislators seem content to bury their heads in the sand and ignore it,” exclaimed Craig DeLuz, a digital communications consultant and political commentator based in Sacramento. “We the people call on the California State Assembly to give AB 1928 a hearing. At the very least, they need to hear how this law is impacting those they represent.”

AB 5 sets a new standard for hiring independent contractors, requiring many to be reclassified as employees, prompting many independent contractors to lose clients or be forced into restrictive low paying jobs. AB 1928 by Asm. Kevin Kiley (R – Rocklin) would repeal AB 5 and allow independent contractors to once again control how and when they will conduct their business.

“This is a lifestyle choice. We’ve chosen the flexibility and opportunity that comes with owning your own business,” noted Bekka Fink, an actress and small business owner who lives in the Bay Area. “AB 5 has upended the lives of thousands of California business owners and those they serve. But for some reason, these politicians refuse to hear our stories.”

AB 1928 was assigned to the Assembly Labor & Employment Committee and became eligible for a committee hearing on February 15, 2020. But the chair of that committee, Asm. Ash Kalra (D- San Jose), has refused to give the measure a hearing. Prior to this legislative session, every bill introduced was granted a hearing. Under new rules adopted for the 2019-20 Legislative Session, that guarantee was eliminated and now bills are heard at the sole discretion of the committee chair.

Wednesday’s press conference is a part of an effort to demand that AB 1928 get a hearing. Activists are demanding that either Kalra set the bill for a hearing in committee or have the bill withdrawn from committee and hear it on the Assembly Floor.

Organizers also held a rally on Thursday, February 27, 2020, at the same time AB 1928 author, Kevin Kiley was calling for the measure to be heard on the floor. “We demand that our voices are heard,” exclaimed Fink. “How can they ignore the pain and suffering that AB 5 has caused? We will keep coming back until they hear us.”

To watch the press conference in it’s entirety go to https://youtu.be/YEn2p3oGM6E

To support the repeal of this horrible law, Follow this link to SUPPORT AB 1928: http://cragop.org/support-ab-1928/

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