California’s new labor law could have unintended and unwanted consequences

The California Legislature has a bad habit of writing new law in the moment and paying little or no attention to its potential consequences.

While legislative history contains many examples, the most spectacular occurred three decades ago when legislators and then-Gov. Pete Wilson massively overhauled how electricity is generated, distributed and priced, telling consumers it would make power more affordable and reliable.

The real world impact was just the opposite. Power became less reliable, prices skyrocketed and the state’s investor-owned utilities were pushed into insolvency.

Other examples of unintended consequences in California include launching a bullet train project without comprehensive construction or financial plans, sharply increasing public employee pensions without consid