In The News

City Journal: A California-style Brexit

February 13, 2020
Since AB5 took effect on January 1, hundreds of thousands of Californians are finding their businesses in tatters.
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Sacramento Observer: Legislative Republicans Tapping Into Freelancer Frustration

February 11, 2020
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) introduced SB 867 and SB 868. Her bills call for carve-outs in the law for freelance journalists, newspapers carriers, and distributors.
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Eureka: Advice for the Governor: Clean Up a Made-in-California Mess

February 11, 2020
“Assembly Bill 5 took a sledgehammer approach to an employment problem that required a scalpel, which consequently hammered many Californians who truly wish to remain their own bosses,” said Republican state senator Patricia Bates in proposing two pieces of legislation this year, SB 867 and SB 868...
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Los Angeles Sentinel: Labor Lawsuits, New Legislation Attempt to Push Back on New AB 5 Rules

February 6, 2020
“Assembly Bill 5 took a sledgehammer approach to an employment problem that required a scalpel, which consequently hammered many Californians who truly wish to remain their own bosses,” said Sen. Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel).
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Orange County Register: California's gig-worker law faces push-back, even from some it's intended to help

February 3, 2020
With newspapers already reeling from years of closures and cuts amid declining revenues, State Sen. Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, introduced one bill that would exempt freelance journalists from AB5.
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Coast News: Sober living bill blocked in state senate

January 30, 2020
Senate Bill 486 was introduced by Sen. Pat Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) and would have prohibited commercially operated substance abuse recovery residences, also known as sober living homes, from engaging in patient brokering.
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Orange County Register: Bill forbidding lies in rehab marketing re-introduced in state Senate

January 29, 2020
Addiction rehabs and similar health businesses in California shouldn’t be allowed to lie to consumers with impunity, according to state Sen. Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel.
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California Globe: Freelance Journalists Would Be Exempt from AB 5 in New Bill

January 24, 2020
“Assembly Bill 5 took a sledgehammer approach to an employment problem that required a scalpel, which consequently hammered many Californians who truly wish to remain their own bosses,” said Senator Bates.
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Associated Press: Bills may exempt freelancers, newspapers from California law

January 23, 2020
Freelance writers and newspaper carriers would be exempted from a broad new California labor law requiring that many be treated as employees rather than independent contractors, under legislation announced Thursday by a state senator.
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Orange County Register: Body brokering, where addicts are sold as investments, can continue in sober homes, for now

January 16, 2020
The bill, SB 486, by Sen. Pat Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, sought to add “commercially operated recovery residences” to the list of places that can’t give or receive anything of value for client referrals.
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