Bay Area Judge Rules California Ride-Hailing Law Is Unconstitutional

LOS ANGELES (AP/CBS13) — A Bay Area justice Friday struck down a California ballot measurement that exempted ride-hailing services similar Uber and Lyft from a authorities instrumentality requiring drivers to beryllium classified arsenic employees eligible for benefits and occupation protections.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ruled that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional.

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Voters approved the measurement successful November aft Uber, Lyft and different services spent $200 cardinal successful its favor, making it the astir costly ballot measurement successful authorities history.

Uber said it planned to appeal, mounting up a combat that could apt extremity up successful the California Supreme Court.

“This ruling ignores the volition of the overwhelming bulk of California voters and defies some logic and the law,” institution spokesperson Noah Edwardsen said. “You don’t person to instrumentality our connection for it: California’s lawyer wide powerfully defended Proposition 22’s constitutionality successful this precise case.”

He said the measurement volition stay successful unit pending the appeal.

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The justice sided with 3 drivers and the Service Employees International Union successful a suit that argued the measurement improperly removed the authorities Legislature’s quality to assistance workers the close to entree to the authorities workers’ compensation program.

“For 2 years, drivers person been saying that ideology cannot beryllium bought. And today’s determination shows they were right,” said Bob Schoonover, president of the SEIU California State Council.

Proposition 2 shielded app-based ride-hailing and transportation companies from a labour instrumentality that required specified services to dainty drivers arsenic employees and not autarkic contractors, who don’t person to person benefits specified arsenic paid sick permission oregon unemployment insurance.

Uber and Lyft threatened to permission the authorities if voters rejected the measure.

Labor spent astir $20 cardinal to situation the proposition.

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The authorities Supreme Court initially declined to perceive the lawsuit successful February — chiefly connected procedural grounds — but near unfastened the anticipation of a little tribunal challenge.