California’s unique law that deputizes workers to sue on the state’s behalf generated $88 million for the state last year, even as the measure faces legal challenges that could weaken or kill it.
The Private Attorneys General Act penalties collected in 2019 exceeded the $78.7 million the state took in during the previous three years combined, according to a February report from the Center for Popular Democracy, UCLA Labor Center, and Partnership for Working Families. PAGA has boosted labor law compliance, added to state enforcement capacity, and ensured there’s a meaningful remedy for violations, the report says.
But the total ...