SAVING DOUGH

Billionaire Newsom Donor Benefits From Weird Minimum Wage Exemption: Report

The California governor allegedly pushed for the exemption.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom allegedly pushed for a curious exemption to the state’s new minimum wage law that just so happens to benefit one of the Democrat’s donors, according to a report. Fast food workers will see the minimum wage rise to $20 an hour up from $16 under the new legislation—dubbed the FAST Act—but chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item are exempt from the rise. Among the main beneficiaries of the bakery exemption—which had perplexed observers—is Greg Flynn, a billionaire Newsom donor whose California holdings include Panera Bread locations, Bloomberg reports. The outlet cited sources familiar with the matter as saying Newsom had personally pushed for the exemption. Flynn told Bloomberg he hadn’t played a role in crafting the bakery exemption. “The Governor never met with Flynn about this bill and this story is absurd,” Newsom spokesperson Alex Stack later told The Daily Beast. “Our legal team has reviewed and it appears Panera is not exempt from the law.”