Questions Raised Over California Minimum Wage Law's Fast Food Exemption
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California passed a law requiring fast food chains to pay $20/hr minimum wage, but Panera was exempted due to Gov. Newsom's relationship with billionaire franchisee Greg Flynn
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Flynn was initially against the bill but Newsom pushed for Panera's exemption in late negotiations
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Republican lawmaker calls for investigation into "crooked deal", noting Flynn donated over $150k to Newsom
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Flynn said the law would make his franchises unprofitable, margins already dropped from 9% to 3.5%
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When asked about the exemption, Newsom said it was part of the "sausage making" and "give and take" of negotiations