Bird scooters on the sidewalk in San Jose.
Bird scooters on the sidewalk in San Jose.

In summary

Bird, created in 2017 with venture capital backing, hired a Sacramento lobbyist to push one bill, exempting adults who rent and ride motorized scooters from having to comply with the state’s otherwise strict helmet law.

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Dan Morain joined CalMatters in March 2018. He is the former editorial page editor of The Sacramento Bee. Morain also spent 27 years at The Los Angeles Times, and has covered the Capitol since 1992.