L.A. County Creates Minimum Wage Enforcement Agency

Los Angeles County Supervisors voted Tuesday to set up a new division to enforce the new minimum wage law, the Los Angeles Times reported. While details of the enforcement program, including penalties that could be imposed on recalcitrant business owners, have not been determined, the county could revamp its business permitting system to require more businesses in unincorporated areas to get county licenses. The Los Angeles City Council voted to raise the minimum wage in May, and later the county increased its wage to $15. Initially, the county wage enforcement division will only be responsible for investigating violations in unincorporated areas. The city of Los Angeles has created a separate enforcement program, the Los Angeles Times said.