A second helping of crazy, corrupt California fast food laws

California fast food minimum wage madness is back with a vengeance.

After California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed through a law in April that drastically increased the fast-food industry’s minimum wage to $20 an hour (except for Panera workers, apparently because one of the governor’s good friends owns a lot of franchises), things have largely gone as expected.

Soaring prices: Burger King customers have seen prices of some items increase by 53%. In addition, the discount on the signature Double Royale burger combo also increased by 12%.

Rubio’s California Grill closed 38 of its 134 locations in May and filed for bankruptcy in June.

In other words, the effects of establishing a government-mandated wage floor are entirely predictable.

Management can either pass the costs on to customers or simply give up.

Now?

California fast food workers union hopes other Increased to $20.70.

See: Unions are free to demand whatever they want from management and state politicians, who are often beholden to union campaign cash.

But that doesn’t mean it’s good policy.

In fact, the exemption—which, oddly, exempts businesses that bake and sell their own bread as a standalone item, a move clearly tailored to Panera—proves that the price hike, and the economic thinking behind it, were wrong all along.

If that makes any sense, Newsom’s powerful friends don’t need special treatment.

No, this is just an effort to fuel the left’s frenzy over “fairness” rather than actually make life better for Californians.

Higher wages mean higher barriers for children looking for summer jobs and for low-educated adults to find stable employment.

For consumers, already suffering from inflation, prices will rise further.

Sure, it looks like progressives don’t care too much about the little people they support.