OAKLAND – A group of 151 economists and political scientists is calling for the immediate suspension of California’s Assembly Bill 5, a law that was passed in 2019 to regulate the use of independent contractors in a variety of activities. The “Open Letter to Suspend California AB 5” is addressed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and all members of the California state Legislature and calls for the immediate suspension of the law, which prevents individuals from working part time in a variety of indispensable positions, especially during the coronavirus crisis.The open letter is signed by such notable scholars at Nobel Laureate Vernon Smith of Chapman University, John Taylor of Stanford University, Lee Ohanian of University of California Los Angeles, David Teece of University of
