There was both good news and bad for franchise owners coming out of the Golden State this week as the full California Assembly passed AB 525, the Franchise Relations Act, which will help restore some balance to the franchise relationship.  Just two days later, the Los Angeles City Council, by a 14 – 1 vote, endorsed increasing the minimum wage to $15/hour over the next 5 years.  Technically, the Council vote mandates that the City Attorney now draft an ordinance increasing the minimum wage.  That ordinance, which will also index future minimum wages to inflation beginning in 2022, will then be subject to another vote for final approval and sent to Mayor Eric Garcetti.  He will sign the ordinance into law.  AB 525, which franchise owners have been pushing in California for the past few years, now goes to the state senate for their deliberation.  A different version of the bill was approved last session, but vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown at the last minute.  And, as an aside from California, we noted legislation has been proposed – again – that would add an additional tax of two pennies per ounce on all soda and other sugary beverages sold in the state.  AB-1357 (Assembly Bill), filed by Santa Monica Assemblyman Richard Bloom, would require that the proceeds from the new tax initially be directed to a broad array of state agencies that fund youth obesity and diabetes programs.