California Restaurants Now Want an Exemption from the State’s New Hidden Fees Law
June 20, 2024 | 1 min to read
In “1984,” George Orwell explores the concept of “newspeak,” a language used to obscure reality. Recently, California state Sen. Bill Dodd introduced Senate Bill 1524, proposing to exempt restaurants from his earlier requirement in SB 478 that mandates fees be included in listed prices. Dodd claims this new legislation aims to “enhance consumer protection” by “clarifying state law” on fee disclosures, exemplifying a contemporary twist on Orwellian manipulation of language.
In “1984,” George Orwell’s novel about a dystopian future, he describes “newspeak,” a propagandistic language of euphemisms and inversions used by officialdom to mask the reality of their meaning.
We got a dose of California-style newspeak last week when state Sen. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat, introduced Senate Bill 1524. It would exempt restaurants from his previous legislation, SB 478, which requires businesses to fully include extra fees in their prices, rather than tacking them on after services or goods have been delivered.
Dodd declared his proposed new legislation would “enhance consumer protection” for restaurant patrons by “clarifying state law” on how fees and other service charges should be disclosed.
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