Newspapers get victory with passage of AB 323

The state Assembly passed a bill granting newspapers another year to meet new labor standards for its delivery drivers Monday on the final day of the legislative session.

Assembly Bill 323, called the “Save Local Journalism Act,” passed 60-2 and is now heading to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature. It passed the state Senate 39-0 on Sunday night.

The bill, authored by Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, was amended to give the industry just one extra year before Assembly Bill 5, adopted last year, forces changes to longstanding delivery practices. Originally, it offered a twoyear grace period.

Newspaper publishers have said without the law, the creation and distribution of printed newspapers would be cut, and more jobs would be lost in an industry already ravaged by declining advertising revenue. Under AB5, the delivery drivers would have been re-classified as employees instead of independent contractors.

“I can not express adequately my appreciation for the tremendous outpouring of support we received from readers and legislators in all of our markets. It is not hyperbole to say that if AB5 is allowed to stand as is it will massively impact credible presentation of community news and commentary across all of California,” said Jim Gleim, regional vice president and group publisher in the NorCal newsgroup of Media News Group, which owns and operates this newspaper. “Through their overwhelming vote in both houses, our legislators sent the strongest possible message in support of community journalism, despite the fact that it may not always support their perspective or position — how refreshing in these times.”

The bill’s author, Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (DBaldwin Park), pointed out recently that the legislature passed AB170 last year, granting newspapers an additional year to comply with AB5 on the issue of delivery drivers. “And now,” she explained, “given the impact of COVID on the news industry, AB323 simply provides additional time for newspapers to stabilize operations and pursue alternate distribution models.”

The author of AB5, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), was one of two people to vote against AB323 on Monday.