California Lawmakers Try to Tell Retailers How Best to Address Theft

Commentary It seems there is no element of private enterprise California politicians are not comfortable attempting to dictate how it should be run. Whether it be how much to pay workers, what to charge for a product, what fees are permitted, or the racial and gender makeup of a board of directors. Now, they want to tell retailers how to operate self-service checkout terminals, supposedly as a means of addressing retail theft. Under a new state Senate bill, such terminals will have to be manned by an employee, defeating the whole purpose of the terminals. State senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas introduced the measure, explaining, “We know that what makes our community safe is not more jail time and penalties.”...