California State Senator Dave Min sided with the most radical wing of his Party on SB 799, one of 2023’s most controversial bills.
It appears that California State Senator Dave Min is the Democratic Party’s choice for California’s 47th Congressional District. Throughout the campaign thus far, Min has seen success touting his commitment to the Party’s values and his “progressive record of action.”
Upon reviewing his legislative track record, it’s apparent that Min teeters back and forth between the moderate and more progressive contingencies within his Party. However, there is one area where Min consistently stands alongside the most radical Democrats: labor.
Last year, Min cast a controversial vote in favor of Senate Bill 799. This bill was introduced to allow striking workers to claim unemployment insurance (UI) benefits when they choose to strike.
SB 799 was labeled by many as a disastrous, job-killing proposal that threatened to exacerbate California’s already strained UI system, further balloon the state’s ongoing federal UI debt, and overturn more than 70 years of precedent. The California Chamber of Commerce was joined by a coalition of more than 110 businesses, associations, and local chambers of commerce in opposition to the bill.
“Being unemployed is fundamentally different than being on strike,” said CalChamber Policy Advocate Robert Moutrie. “SB 799 fundamentally alters the nature of UI by providing unemployment benefits to workers who still have a job and have chosen to temporarily refuse to work as a negotiating tactic.”
Though SB 799 passed in the Senate, it is notable that a sizable number of Democrats including Marie Alvarado-Gil, Bill Dodd, Steve Glazer, and Susan Eggman voted against it.
The disastrous economic implications of the bill were too severe for even Governor Gavin Newsom, who is generally staunchly allied with Democrats on labor issues, to ignore. In September of last year, his Office released a letter outlining his reasons for vetoing the bill.
“Any expansion of eligibility for UI benefits could increase California’s outstanding federal UI debt projected to be nearly $20 billion by the end of the year and could jeopardize California’s Benefit Cost Ratio add-on waiver application, significantly increasing taxes on employers,” wrote Gavin Newsom. “Now is not the time to increase costs or incur this sizable debt.”
This should speak to the obviousness of the bill’s harmful effects which go far beyond the normal partisan disagreements on labor. Nevertheless, Senator Min ignored all the bipartisan concerns and common sense warning signs in order to support the job-killing bill. In doing so, he demonstrated a troubling disregard for employers and a willingness to jeopardize imperil California’s economic vitality.
“SB 799 is one of the better examples of what’s wrong with our legislative system,” said John Kabateck, California state director for the National Federation of Independent Business. “A last-minute, gut-and-amend bill allowing little time for legislative scrutiny and public input, it was shamelessly hijacked and rushed to passage to score political points with striking Hollywood writers and actors.”
While Orange County is not the bright-red bastion of Republicanism many still believe it to be, its constituents tend to favor fiscal conservatism and policies that ensure the economic climate remains friendly to businesses. California’s 47th Congressional District, which Min hopes to seize, is contained entirely within Orange County and houses some of the region’s largest businesses and industry leaders throughout Irvine, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Costa Mesa. Min’s support for SB 799 raises legitimate concerns about his alignment with the priorities of his district.
“The governor’s veto was the right thing to do,” said Kabateck. “But it only hits the pause button on a crisis that needs to stop.”
