As you
know, Scott Hauge and all our Board Members have worked hard
toward sponsoring and advocating solutions-based legislation
in Sacramento. Our board members and executive director
testified numerous times in Sacramento before the
legislature and went to Sacramento almost on a weekly basis
during the session to testify on legislation impacting small
business in California.
The success of Small
Business California during this past legislative session is
gratifying and you should know that when we discussed bills
affecting California’s small business climate, it was almost
always as the lead small business organization fighting for
these bills and our members
Small
Business California has come a long way over the last two
years in establishing a voice for grass roots small
businesses. The email tree we have put in place to about
2400 small businesses has developed a reputation for
providing the most current information about issues in
Sacramento that affect small businesses.
We have become a trusted
source of information not only to the media in California
but around the nation. It also has generated hundreds of
letters to legislators and the Governor supporting our
positions.
Here are the bills that
SB-Cal played a significant role in getting passed (or
vetoed) this legislative session:
2006
Activities- Supported Bills
-
SB 1436 [Figueroa]
(SB-Cal sponsored) Will assist small businesses in
complying with state regulation and requires state
agencies to designate a liaison for small businesses to
work with. It also requires the department of Technology
Services to create and maintain a user friendly website.
Passed and signed by the Governor
-
SB 437 [Escutia]
increased health insurance coverage for children in
California. Passed and signed by the Governor
-
AB 2330 [Arambula]
Requires the Small Business Advocate to do a study of
the cost of state regulations for small business. Passed
and signed by the Governor
-
AB 3058 [Arambula]
Provides assistance to small businesses in developing a
disaster plan. Passed and signed by the Governor.
-
AB 1835 [Lieber]
Increase in the minimum wage. While this is
controversial, SB-Cal supported it when it appeared
that it was going to the ballot. Had it gone to the
ballot it would have included indexing every year.
SB-Cal tried to get a tip credit included, but failed.
Passed and signed by the Governor
-
AB 2098 [Liu] (SB-Cal
sponsored) Creates an Electronic Funds Task Force to
examine California's current payment dispersal practices
and determine opportunities for increased cost savings
and user friendliness utilizing new EFT technology.
Passed and awaiting Governor’s signature
-
AB173 [Maldonado] This
bill would have allowed individuals who put money into a
health savings account to take a state tax deduction
aligned with the federal tax deduction which is
available. Failed in the Assembly
-
AB 2277 [Villines] This
bill would require posters that the employer must post
to be in plain understandable language. Failed in
Assembly
-
AB2217[Villines] Allow
employers the ability to schedule their workweek so that
overtime is paid after 40 hours. Failed in Assembly
-
AB 32 [Pavley/Nunez]
Landmark emissions reduction legislation. SB-Cal was
the first CA business organization to support this
legislation and we lobbied in Sacramento to insure
passage, noting the importance of balancing emissions
reduction with incentives for CA businesses to exchange
profits lost through wasted energy for investments that
will pay for themselves through lower energy costs. This
bill puts the CA Clean Tech sector on the forefront to
maximize innovation and new job creation in the race to
supply the world with alternative energy technologies.
Bills
Opposed
-
SB 815 [Perata] Doubling
of temporary disability payments on workers compensation
claims. This bill would have dramatically increased
workers comp rates over three years. Passed but vetoed
by the Governor
-
AB 409 [Yee] Another
Workers’ Comp bill, this would have removed the caps on
chiropractor and physical therapist visits. Pulled by
the Author
