The Wall Street Journal eviscerates the California law AB5, touting its bloodthirsty appetite for free commerce, independence, and freedom of the press.
Currently pending lawsuits challenge AB5 on multiple fronts, and the law is likely to suffer further damage through continued claims against its constitutionality. Meanwhile, leading Democratic presidential candidates have floated a national version of AB5.
The WSJ issued a warning for the Democratic candidates in the oped after making the case against AB5.
The Associated Press reported the introduction of a bill that would exempt freelance journalists and the newspaper industry from AB5 — citing an “existential threat” to the newspaper industry in California.
Publisher’s Note: In full disclosure, the Atascadero News and Paso Robles Press contract with two freelance writers who could be impacted by AB5. Each writer contributes a weekly column and the impact of AB5 would limit them to 35 or less contributions and cost them almost half their potential income. These writers stand to lose more individually that we do as a company. For us, the bottom line remains we believe the writers have the choice and should not be impeded in their participation in free press. If they choose to write and submit, they are afforded the Constitutional protection to do so, and under the greatest law of the land, they are not required to register as sole prorprietors in order to do so. It is our solemn duty, as the Fourth Estate, to enlist our inalienable rights to defend our citizenry against all threats, foreign and domestic, and it is on our inalienable rights that we stand in protest against any laws made in violation of those rights.
