SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A bill that sought to ban the use of confidentiality agreements when negotiating potential laws in California has failed to pass a state legislative committee.
The proposal by Republican Assemblymember Vince Fong failed to get enough votes to pass out of the Assembly Elections Committee on Thursday. Two Republicans voted for the bill while Democratic Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, the committee chair, voted against it.
Five other Democrats on the committee did not vote.
The legislation was inspired by last year's negotiations over a bill that mandated a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers. The bill, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law, includes an exception for restaurants that produce their own bread and sell it as a standalone menu item.
It's not clear why that exception was included. The exception was also included in similar legislation that passed the year before.
Bloomberg News reported the exception was meant to benefit one of Newsom's wealthy campaign donors who owns Panera Bread restaurants. Newsom and the donor, Greg Flynn, denied the story. The Newsom administration said the exemption does not apply to Panera Bread restaurants. Flynn also pledged to pay his workers $20 an hour beginning April 1.
Labor unions and industry groups representing California restaurants met privately last summer to discuss the bill before coming to an agreement. The parties signed a nondisclosure agreement, which KCRA first reported.
Fong criticized that agreement. He introduced a bill that would void any nondisclosure agreement relating to the drafting, negotiation, discussion or creation of legislation. The bill would have also banned public officials from signing these agreements or asking third parties to sign them.
“Nondisclosure agreements certainly have their place to protect businesses' proprietary and financial information. But they should not be used in the crafting and negotiating laws that affect the daily lives of our constituents,” Fong said. “The public already has a poor perception of the legislative process. Allowing the use of NDAs will further erode and corrode their trust in government.”
Pellerin, the Democratic chair of the committee, noted there has been no evidence that public officials have signed confidentiality agreements related to legislative negotiations.
“The crux of what this bill seeks to address are conversations between private parties, not legislative negotiations involving public officials,” she said. “That's a complicated issue.”
Pellerin said the issue was so complex that lawmakers did not have enough time to fully consider it. Fong introduced the bill last week. The committee held a special hearing Thursday to consider it before a legislative deadline on Friday.
Fong, who has been a frequent critic of how quickly Democrats often approve legislation, noted the Legislature often moves fast for priority bills. He noted that just before Thursday's hearing, Democrats in the state Assembly — including Pellerin — voted to amend a bill to allow Arizona doctors to come to California and provide abortions for their patients.
“I just would respectfully ask that this bill, with the importance of preserving the lawmaking process of this institution, would be allowed to move forward to preserve, you know, what the people expect us to do when we work on their behalf,” Fong said.
FILE – Republican Assemblymember Vince Fong speaks on the floor of the California Assembly on Thursday, April 11, 2024. A bill Fong wrote to ban the use of nondisclosure agreements when negotiating legislation failed to pass a legislative committee on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — Yu Darvish pitched five scoreless innings, Luis Campusano drove in three runs and the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 on Monday night.
Darvish (2-1) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one in his second straight win. The Japanese right-hander, who played for Chicago for three seasons before he was traded to San Diego in December 2020, also tossed five shutout innings in a 6-4 victory against Cincinnati last week.
Campusano, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth and Donovan Solano each had two hits as the Padres won for the fifth time in six games. Robert Suarez got five outs for his 11th save in 11 opportunities.
Christopher Morel and Yan Gomes homered for the Cubs, who dropped to 12-5 at Wrigley Field this season. Mike Tauchman had two hits and scored a run.
Chicago left-hander Justin Steele pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his first major league start since he strained his left hamstring on opening day. He allowed three hits while throwing 68 pitches, 43 for strikes.
Steele got a big ovation when he departed, and Richard Lovelady retired Luis Arraez for the final out of the fifth. Manager Craig Counsell then sent Lovelady (0-1) back out for the sixth, and San Diego jumped all over the left-hander.
Singles by Fernando Tatis Jr. and Cronenworth — along with a double steal — set up Jurickson Profar's two-run single. Solano hit an RBI single off Daniel Palencia, and Campusano's three-run double lifted the Padres to a 6-0 lead.
Chicago cut its deficit in half on Morel's two-run shot in the sixth and Gomes' solo drive in the seventh. But the rally fizzled from there.
The Cubs came up empty after they loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth. Jeremiah Estrada struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong swinging before he was replaced by Suarez, who fanned Gomes and retired Nico Hoerner on a popup to shortstop.
Suarez then worked a perfect ninth. The right-hander has allowed one run and seven hits in 15 1/3 innings this season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: 3B Manny Machado got the day off. The All-Star slugger is batting .287 (27 for 94) with three homers and 14 RBIs in his last 23 games.
Cubs: OFs Seiya Suzuki (right oblique strain) and Cody Bellinger (right rib fracture) worked out before the game once again, including batting practice. Counsell said Suzuki is going to need a rehab stint in the minors, but Bellinger could be activated by the team before it begins a six-game trip at Pittsburgh on Friday night. ... RHP Kyle Hendricks (low back strain) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Randy Vásquez and Shota Imanaga take the mound on Tuesday night. Vásquez (0-1, 5.87 ERA) was recalled from Triple-A El Paso when the Padres placed right-hander Joe Musgrove on the 15-day injured list on Sunday. Imanaga (5-0, 0.78 ERA) is going for his fifth consecutive win for the Cubs.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele throws against the San Diego Padres during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs' Yan Gomes, right, grabs base coach Willie Harris after hitting a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, left, catches San Diego Padres' Tyler Wade, right, who was trying to steal second during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, left, catches San Diego Padres' Tyler Wade, right, who was trying to steal second during the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
San Diego Padres' Ha-Seong Kim scores on a three-run double by Luis Campusano during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
San Diego Padres' Ha-Seong Kim is hit by a pitch from Chicago Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia during the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish returns to the dugout after throwing against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, May 6, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
