What’s stopping California lawyers from going back to work? Climate change, of course

It is bad enough that California’s stringent environmental laws have driven up the cost of energy, food, and housing. Now, public-sector unions are weaponizing the state’s most powerful environmental statute to avoid showing up for work.

Getting California’s unionized state workforce back into the office has been a challenge ever since the COVID lockdowns ended. Until June 2024, state employees eligible to work remotely were not required to show up at their offices for even a minimum number of hours. Some departments imposed their own rules, but there was no statewide rule. Since then, state workers have generally been required to report in person two days a week.

To his credit, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) wants to raise that minimum from two days a week to four. Unions oppose this because they would rather keep collecting taxpayer-funded paychecks at home than return to the office where taxpayers can see them.

Newsom issued