Well Lisa, to recap what we first reported,
multiple sources told us California's powerful labor group at the
negotiating table,
SEIU, required the few who negotiated on behalf of the
fast food industry to sign non disclosure agreements.
So we might not ever know how exactly that mysterious
exemption for bakeries would end up in the law.
What we've learned is Democratic lawmakers who first claimed they
were involved in the legislation are now saying they were
never in those final negotiations while Republicans continue their calls
for an investigation.
Questions consuming the state Capitol Thursday after KCRA 3 first
reported Non Disclosure Agreements were used in the making of
California's landmark fast food minimum wage law.
On this NDA, the Non Disclosure Agreements,
that is egregious and that's corrupt.
That is
that Everybody should be having a visceral reaction to that
in their gut,
that this is not how American government works.
Republican state lawmakers pressuring Governor Gavin Newsom to release records
related to the negotiations.
I think everyone's concerned. Lawmakers on both sides of the
aisle say they were left out of the final negotiations,
leaving an all up to the governor to oversee.
The governor's office said it had no involvement in the
NDA's. The SEIU, which required the fast food industry leaders
to sign them,
has not responded to a repeated request for comment.
State Senator David Cortezzi led the Senate's labor committee when
the deal passed and I asked specifically should I be
involved in trying to help mediate this and they said
no, pretty much absolutely not.
We're we've got this, we're going to work it out
and then we're going to bring our solution to the
governor.
So where they decided to use non disclosure agreements along
the way.
I'm not sure I can tell you as I stand
here today
that no senators were involved Newsom and the new law
under intense scrutiny because of an exemption for fast food
bakeries.
A carve out that sources have told us would benefit
his billionaire donor Greg Flynn.
But experts note the bigger issue is keeping the public
legally in the dark about how it all happened.
You know, the use of non disclosure agreements in government
is typically frowned upon at all levels of government because
of the need for transparency.
We're dealing with public money.
We're dealing with the the public trust.
This isn't partisan. This is good government.
Yeah, this should be a bipartisan thing that we ensure
this stuff isn't going on
and then we put an end to it.
Now, we also asked legislative leaders to comment here.
Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire told us he's never been
involved in a negotiation that included
NDA's and does not see the need for them.
We are still waiting to hear back from Speaker of
the Assembly Robert Rivas,
and I know you asked him this yesterday,
but has the governor said if he was aware of
the
NDA's? No. We keep asking him and his office if
they were aware the
NDA's that were you, if they were aware of the
NDA's being used,
and if the governor is actually OK with their use
in the crafting of public policy that affects
Californians. We're still not getting straight answers to any of
those questions at this point.
OK, Still a lot of ground to cover here.
We'll stay on top of it.
And thanks for keeping us up to date actually.