Theresa Harvey, President & CEO
As an advocate for small business, the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce spends a great deal of time opposing bills that will be harmful to business. This year, CalChamber compiled a list of “Job Creators” which includes bills that will provide a framework for restoring California’s competitiveness and restore businesses of the certainty and stability to make investment and hiring decisions.
“Lack of certainty and common sense regulation are among the key barriers to an improved job climate in California,” said Allan Zaremberg, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce. “It behooves lawmakers to zero in on those bills that will provide solutions employers need to begin investing in our economy and hiring people again.”
The list of identified job creator bills supports CalChamber’s Renew California plan, first released in 2010 and updated in 2011 to provide policymakers with a framework for restoring California’s competitiveness and giving job creators the certainty and stability to make investment and hiring decisions. Renew California is based on five pillars for economic recovery which include:
- Reducing regulatory and litigation costs of hiring new employees and keeping them on the job;
- Ensuring certainty and stability of private investments in plants, equipment and technology;
- Enacting a fair and predictable tax structure;
- Investing in public and private works that provide the backbone for economic growth; and
- Providing a world-class education to prepare high school students for work or college, and supporting public colleges and universities to prepare students and innovate technologies.
The Fullerton Chamber followed “business friendly” pieces of legislation as the State Legislature closed session on August 31. Here is a summary of those bills that progressed through the past year including their status as of mid-August:
AB 890 (Olsen; R-Modesto): CEQA Reform – Improves safety and roadway conditions that expedite goods and people movement by exempting roadway projects from the California Environmental Quality Act process. In senate appropriations committee (8/8).
AB 1073 (Fuentes; D-Sylmar) Environmental Regulations – promotes the use of cost-efficient energy by allowing a solar facility to convert from solar thermal technology to photovoltaic technology without having to file a new application. Chaptered*
SB 1139 (Rubio; D-East Bakersfield) Environmental Regulations – Advances the state’s environmental policies and promotes job creation by reducing the regulatory burdens for the permitting of carbon capturing and storage projects. Referred to Assembly committee on appropriations.
AB 1612 (Lara; D-Los Angeles) Administrative Practices- Promotes government accountability and transparent process by requiring proposed new residential building standards to include the costs of compliance. Potential benefits of the proposed standard and the underlying model used to achieve those estimates. Senate Third Reading.
AB 2026 (Fuentes: D-Sylmar) Film Credit Extension- Protects jobs in the film industry by extending the film tax credit for 5 years, until July 1, 2020. Senate Second Reading.
*A bill is “chaptered” by the Secretary of State after it has passed through both houses of the Legislature and has been signed by the Governor or becomes law without the Governor’s signature.
For more information on “Job Creator” bills and to update their status visit: https://www.calchamber.com/GovernmentRelations/BillTracking/Pages/Default.aspx
It’s free to access and will keep you up to date on everything going on in Sacramento.
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