Election Day Gave Uber and Lyft a Whole New Road Map

A year ago, California looked like an existential crisis for Uber and Lyft. Now, a $200 million political campaign has turned the state into a legal fortress for the same companies, one that could help them repel threats from Washington and elsewhere.

On Election Day, voters in California approved Proposition 22, a ballot measure bankrolled by Uber, Lyft, Postmates, DoorDash, and Instacart that declares their drivers to be independent contractors while affording them certain perks. Prop 22 excludes the drivers from AB 5, a state law passed last year that made employees of gig workers whose roles were in ...