This petition is of grave concern about bill, AB5, which was intended to protect workers from exploitation by large corporations-namely Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers.

Unfortunately, as written, AB5 is likely to close down the independent music industry in California forever.

Exceptions are currently made in AB5 for a number of businesses. Unfortunately, musicians are not among the exempted groups. This must be fixed immediately.

Requiring every entity that uses the services of independent musicians to make every musician playing a single engagement with a group often assembled for that one occasion, an employee and pay Federal taxes, State taxes, SSI & Insurance would make it non cost effective to hire an independent contractor-musician.

So too, under the rules of AB5, it would not be cost effective for an independent musician to hire other independent contractor-musicians and be required to have an accountant cut their checks with all of previously stated requirements as employees.

Independent musicians are just that: independent contractors that play a wide variety of jobs with a wide variety of other musicians in a wide variety of venues and situations. 

Tens of thousands of musicians in California will be forced to shut the doors on our small businesses. 

We urge you to amend this bill and make musicians an exception IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE it goes into law on Jan. 1st, 2020.