
Sacramento: The moribund California Republican Party has been showing a few signs of life — not quite vigor, but a sense that it might limp around for another few years. The GOP snatched a congressional seat from the Democrats in a High-Desert and suburban Los Angeles district during a special election last month.
The party’s registration levels remain low — five percentage points behind No Party Preference — but there’s renewed optimism that it might claw back a couple of the Southern California congressional seats it lost in the 2018 midterms.
That’s thin gruel, perhaps, but after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s overreach with regard to the COVID-19 shutdowns and the Democratic Party’s doubling-down approach to a controversial new anti-contracting law, Assembly Bill 5, the state GOP’s leaders see a chance to make a few inroads. AB 5 has offered the party the biggest opening it has had in years given that law’s dismal impact on constituencies (writers, musicians, low-income workers) that usually tilt toward the Dems.
The legislation, which is little known outside of California, could become a major national issue in the 2020 general election provided that President Donald Trump could stop sounding like Mr. Bill (“they’re being mean to me”) and spend more time exploiting Democratic weaknesses. In this regard, Democratic nominee Joe Biden has turned the matter into a national campaign issue — one that could work to the GOP’s advantage if Republicans play it right.
“All workers deserve the right to bargain for good wages, benefits and working conditions — including gig workers,” Biden tweeted in September. “That is why I’m pleased the CA Legislature passed AB5. As president, I will enact a federal law to ensure gig workers get the full protections they deserve.” He reiterated his support in March. He also blasted an initiative, which Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have qualified for the November ballot pending negotiations with the Legislature, that would exempt drivers from its onerous provisions.
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