If AB-5 is signed into law the ramifications can be disastrous for working musicians throughout California:

Our taxes will be different. Most musicians get paid as independent contractors via 1099s. With that we file Schedule C forms and can deduct instrument purchases, meals, travel, etc. No longer being self-employed will dramatically change our tax base and every single gig we play, a recording, a wedding, a tour, whoever hires us will become our employer. 

With every single gig we do having the people who hire us as employers will become a logistical nightmare. Example: Hired to play a wedding. The couple getting married now has to process W2s for each musician, their out of pocket expenses have increased to cover our Health & Welfare and they have A LOT more paperwork with which to handle. They won’t do this. They will either end up paying us less or hire a solo musician or more likely than not, a DJ. It’s cheaper and less hassle. This is simple economics and it will effect millions of musicians throughout California. 

Artists who tour will potentially hire out of State musicians. Why? It will be cheaper and again less paperwork for the payroll services that they use. It’s all supply and demand. If they can save a buck here and there, they will. 

Regarding recordings the same applies. If it’s cheaper to go to Nashville or New York, indie artists or just the homegrown project will outsource the players. With technology everyone has a home studio so you send an mp3 via Dropbox and PDFs of the music charts and people record their tracks remotely and then send them back via the same Dropbox folder. This is done all the time. Many of us have clients who send us their songs to work on and have for years. However, if they have to pay benefits in addition to the normal fees, then why wouldn’t they just get someone remotely from say, Vegas to do the same thing? They save money. Or at the very least, in order to cover their cost, they will pay us less for the recording session. At the end of the day, we either lose the client or at the very least, have less take home pay. 

Do you see a pattern here???

Regarding Uber & Lyft, they are ALREADY operating at a loss of billions. They will not be able to sustain a profit, prices will go up for customers (they already are), and ultimately layoffs of drivers will commence. Is this what you want to have happen?! 

And remember: Uber & Lyft came to the table offering $21/hr for their employees as a compromise and the State said no and went ahead with the vote. $21/hour for driving a car. Good Lord. The average EMTs who save lives make $15/hr! 

And so in conclusion we respectfully ASK GAVIN NEWSOM NOT TO SIGN AB-5 INTO LAW!!! This will do far more harm than good.