Every time I think the Bronze Golden State has reached a new low, I have to remember that I should never overestimate the intelligence of the California legislature. Kevin De Leon (D-Los Angeles) has introduced a bill that requires any business with five or more employees to have a defined benefit pension plan. Employees would contribute around 3% of their wages into the plan; employers would be allowed to make voluntary contributions. The plans, though, would be mandatory to California businesses.
The unintended consequences of passage of this bill are simple. First, would employer contributions remain voluntary for long? I doubt it. And that leads to the second consequence: Fewer employers in California. Why would any business expand in high-cost California where regulation after regulation is put upon it when they can expand in a lower cost environment (such as Nevada or Texas). This leads to the final consequence: Fewer employees in California.
I also have to wonder if the Democrats in Sacramento have ever taken a course in basic economics.