As an independent contractor, I applaud Assemblywoman Christy Smith for leading the way to adjust the Assembly Bill 5 labor law in order to protect workers like me who prefer to remain independent. I appreciate her efforts, and note that she has been one of the first state legislators to recognize the unintended consequences of the bill. That’s leadership, and we are fortunate she has made this one of her top priorities.
AB 5 provides important health and safety protections for many, many workers who were misclassified and prevented from accessing basic benefits and competitive wages. It was necessary because of the outcome of the Dynamex court case. Without AB 5, many businesses would have seen huge losses, which would ultimately further harm independent workers.
However, some elements of the bill made things unnecessarily restrictive for those in some industries. Christy Smith has been collecting information from those negatively impacted and is advocating for refinements to the law to accommodate their circumstances. When the legislative session resumes, I look forward to her proposed changes getting adopted. Christy Smith is someone who sees that not all workers or professions fit under the same umbrella of protections, but all of them deserve protections for their unique situation. No one is fighting harder to accomplish that than Assemblywoman Smith.
Christy Smith is a friend to working families. As an independent worker, and a mom, I proudly cast my vote for Christy Smith for May 12 and will do so again in November.
Elizabeth Arana
Newhall
