California redefines gig economy. Will rest of country follow?
| Pasadena, Calif.
As California winds up its first legislative session under complete Democratic control this week, it鈥檚 taking up pathbreaking legislation.
Perhaps the most groundbreaking is the redefinition of what it means to be a worker in today鈥檚 flexible 鈥済ig鈥� economy. A controversial bill passed Tuesday by the state Senate, which Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he will sign, could remake 1 million jobs from Uber to DoorDash.
It is just one of several measures that would reinforce California鈥檚 image as a national trendsetter: New laws include the nation鈥檚 first trapping ban on fur animals and a crackdown on doctors granting vaccine exemptions. Still on the agenda is the possible approval of legislation to force single-use plastics manufacturers to make their products recyclable.
Why We Wrote This
Has the world been California-ized? Beyond Silicon Valley and Hollywood, the fifth-largest economy is also setting trends for environmental and other industry regulations. How far red states follow is another story.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that other states will look at,鈥� says California political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, of the gig economy legislation that would turn independent contractors for companies like Lyft into employees with protections. Even if the companies succeed in some later modification, whatever the ultimate outcome, it鈥檚 bound to have a national impact, observers say.
Why? Because 鈥渨e鈥檙e big,鈥� says Dr. Jeffe. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the fifth-largest economy in the world.鈥�
California鈥檚 size and economic might, its diverse population, its frontier and entrepreneurial spirit 鈥� these are key reasons why the nation鈥檚 most populous state has that 鈥渁s goes, so goes鈥� reputation. The state has essentially served as a tabula rasa, or clean slate, for Americans, says Erendina Delgadillo, associate curator of history at the Oakland Museum of California.
Fifteen years ago, the state鈥檚 eminent historian, the late Kevin Starr, told the Monitor that California鈥檚 influence 鈥� from the environment, to fashion, to cuisine 鈥� was 鈥渄one.鈥� In a 鈥渧ery big sense,鈥� he said, 鈥渢he battle is over. The country has been California-ized.鈥�
One could argue that the world has been California-ized, given the reach of Silicon Valley鈥檚 tech giants, of Hollywood, and of the state鈥檚 environmental mandates and regulations.
This summer, for example, automakers Honda, Ford, Volkswagen, and BMW struck a deal to adopt the state鈥檚 higher tailpipe emissions standards, rather than go with the Trump administration鈥檚 plans for lower national standards. More automakers are expected to sign on with California, even as the administration moves to revoke the state鈥檚 ability to set its own emissions standards.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to play into the smugness thing, but when it comes to the environment, California has not just been a leader in the United States, but a global leader,鈥� says Ethan Elkind, director of the climate program at the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley.
But in this period of intense political polarization, some of California鈥檚 values appeal more to blue states than red ones 鈥� especially as they eye the high-tax state鈥檚 severe challenges with housing, homelessness, and education.
鈥淭here are many states that don鈥檛 want to take the direction of California,鈥� observes Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at the University of California in San Diego. On issues such as gun control and immigration, 鈥渋t鈥檚 created legislation that other like-minded states will follow, but that red states will absolutely rebel against.鈥�
California, for instance, was the first state to ban assault-style weapons (this after a fatal 1989 mass school shooting with a semi-automatic rifle in Stockton). There is also a law banning high-capacity magazines, whose constitutionality is being decided in the courts. But a young man was able to buy a semi-automatic rifle in Nevada, drive it over the border to California, and use it to kill three people and wound nearly 30 others at the popular garlic festival in Gilroy in July.
Meanwhile, scores of cities and counties across the country have declared themselves sanctuaries for unauthorized immigrants. But only California, Connecticut, Illinois, Oregon, and Vermont 鈥� all blue states 鈥� have passed statewide laws limiting deportation cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to , which reports on social and environmental justice.
Interestingly, it was business considerations that motivated automakers to cut a deal with California on tailpipe emissions, says Mr. Elkind. Together, California and the 13 states, plus Washington, DC., that follow its standards account for about of the U.S. auto market.
California could well get caught up in a legal battle with the administration over its ability to set its own emission standards, with automakers looking at years of uncertainty ahead. So it made sense to strike a deal with California, given the legal uncertainty and the possibility of having to produce vehicles to meet two different standards 鈥� a national one, set by the Trump administration, and the stricter one followed by California and the other states.
鈥淭here鈥檚 strong legal reasons that created strong business reasons for why the automakers needed to cut this deal now,鈥� says Mr. Elkind.
But behind the market and business forces driving the state鈥檚 national impact on auto emissions and other climate-related areas, lies California鈥檚 historic and broad dedication to the environment generally. 鈥淭he political support for climate is a values question,鈥� says Mr. Elkind 鈥� one that has bipartisan support in California and increasingly in the nation, he says.
That translates into state mandates and regulations 鈥� mandates on renewable energy, on electric storage, on low-carbon fuels, on building and appliance standards. 鈥淭hese mandates 鈥� you hear business complaining about it, but you鈥檝e seen it scale up,鈥� he says.
Dr. Jeffe, the political analyst, points to California鈥檚 leadership role in the resistance to the Trump administration 鈥� obviously a role not endorsed nationwide but one of national consequence, given the dozens of lawsuits it has filed against the administration. The state also played a role in Democrats retaking Congress last year. And of course, there鈥檚 California Sen. Kamala Harris鈥� long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination.
鈥淭he most important trend, now, I think, is the trend of California to fight back against Donald Trump every time he tries to stab us in the back on immigration, on water, on the environment,鈥� she says.
Perhaps even some of the state鈥檚 more controversial attitudes, such as its stance on unauthorized immigrants, will eventually spread more widely, she says. Non-Hispanic white people are now in the minority in California. 鈥淎s demography changes across the nation, we鈥檒l have to watch to see whether California is influential in the direction of the culture.鈥�
Larry Gerston, a political scientist and analyst lecturing at the University of California Santa Cruz, admits the state has serious problems. He suggests it can perhaps act as a 鈥渃anary in a coal mine鈥� and point the way in solving them.
But he doesn鈥檛 doubt the Golden State will continue to lead the nation on many fronts 鈥� though some outcomes may not be known for another 20 years, given issues that are still in play.
And yet, he鈥檚 certain about one thing. 鈥淵ou won鈥檛 be buying a fossil-fuel car in 20 years. You just won鈥檛. You鈥檒l see them in museums.鈥�
