California's Fast Food Council: Too important to actually meet
In September 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed legislation creating a new regulatory framework for the state’s fast-food industry. It included a first-of-its-kind body known as the Fast Food Council.
TL;DR
- California created the Fast Food Council in September 2022 to regulate the fast-food industry.
- The council, composed of labor, employer, and government representatives, was empowered to set wages, hours, and workplace conditions for chains with over 100 locations.
- The council has been dormant since February 2025 and leaderless since May 2025.
- It has failed to meet its legal obligation to convene at least every six months.
- The council maintains a $1.1 million budget despite its inactivity.
- The article critiques this situation as regulatory hubris and an example of the 'Fatal Conceit' described by economist Friedrich Hayek, where central planners believe they have superior knowledge to manage complex systems.
- The author suggests the council's inability to meet should serve as a lesson in economic humility.