As we reported, California recently passed a controversial fast-food law that will require franchisees to instate a $20-an-hour minimum wage, which will inevitably send prices for consumers even higher. It was then revealed that the chain Panera Bread got a special carveout exempting it from the requirement – and that the billionaire owner of multiple franchises in the state, Greg Flynn, also happens to be a long-time friend to Gov. Gavin Newsom and a big donor. (The carveout exempts “chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item.” Um, why?)
But the story and the whiff of corruption surrounding it get even worse, according to a report by KCRA Channel 3 Sacramento. The article alleges that the bill was negotiated in secret and that a powerful union demanded that the…
