Anyone who needed confirmation of Ronald Reagan’s famous axiom that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help’” should look to recent actions in California. Assembly Bill 257, which is now on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, dramatically reshapes the Golden State’s restaurant industry, essentially because the legislature considers fast-food workers too feeble-minded to make decisions for themselves.

The bill would create a new council to regulate large fast-food restaurants throughout California. It charges this council to “promulgate minimum fast-food restaurant employment standards, including, as appropriate, standards on wages, working conditions, and training.” It states that the council can establish a minimum wage for 2023 of as much as $22 per hour — far higher than the $15.50 per hour minimum wage applying to other California businesses as of Jan. 1.