Top Action Items

June 21, 2010

Submit Your Letters Now: Help Stop Job-Killing Proposals

AB 482 – Credit Reports

This legislation prohibits employers from using consumer credit reports for employment purposes unless the information is “substantially job related”. In small businesses, many employees perform a wide variety of duties that may not be part of their normal daily routine and may include access to cash, other assets, or confidential information. By restricting access to this important information, AB 482 may expose the business’ customers and employees to an increased risk.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

SB 810 - Single-Payer Healthcare Coverage

This legislation creates a new government run, multi-billion dollar socialized health care system built from a yet to be specified ‘premium structure.’ The bill establishes a premium commission to impose a premium for all employers, which is essentially a tax.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

SB 967 – Public Contracts Preference

This legislation provides bid preferences for bidders who commit that 90 percent of the work will be performed by California employees. This will reduce competition, resulting in less choice and higher prices. Another potential result of this protectionism legislation is retaliation from other states and international trade partners. This practice creates a patchwork of reciprocity and retaliation that makes it difficult for businesses to offer their goods and services in
states other than California.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

SB 974 – Enterprise Zones

This legislation would effectively gut the California Enterprise Zone (EZ) program hiring tax credit. SB 974 proposes to create a “career pathways” tax credit in an effort to bolster career technical education efforts in this state. However, this new tax credit is “paid for” by eliminating key provisions of California’s successful Enterprise Zone Program.

Click here to submit your letter.

June 14, 2010

Submit Your Letters Now: Help Stop Job-Killing Proposals

SB 657 – Human Trafficking
 

SB 657 would mandate that “every retail seller and manufacturer doing business in this state” develop, maintain, and implement a policy addressing the eradication of slavery and human trafficking from their supply chain. This legislation inappropriately makes California employers responsible for the actions of businesses with which they have no contractual relationship, are located in other countries, and could be engaged in activities that may best be handled on a diplomatic level.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

SB 885 – Gift Certificate Redemptions

SB 885 requires sellers of gift cards (i.e. retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues and other service providers) to give cash back to any customer who submits a gift certificate/gift card with a balance under $20. This bill will increase costs and place an additional burden cards when California already has the highest cash back requirement in the nation
 

Click here to submit your letter.

SB 1121 – Agricultural Worker Overtime

SB 1121 would treat agricultural workers the same as regular workers when it comes to overtime payment. Currently, agricultural workers may work 10 hours per day and 6 days a week, before overtime payment is required. Under this legislation, those limits would be reduced to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per work for regular pay. Hours worked beyond that would be on overtime payment.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

AB 2340 – Bereavement Leave

AB 2340 would mandate that every employer grant every employee up to three days of unpaid bereavement leave per year upon the death of a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner. This legislation could have unintended negative consequences for reasonable well-intentioned employers. By making a 3-day bereavement leave mandatory in every situation, AB 2340 removes flexibility employers need to balance bereavement leave requests with pressing leave requests by other employees for other reasons, such as to care for a family member who is in trouble.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

AB 2187 – Employment: Payment of Wages

AB 2187 would create a new crime subject to punishment in jail and monetary fines of a minimum of $1,000 up to $10,000 if an employer “willfully fails” to pay within 90 days all wages due to an employee who quits or is discharged. This new crime would be on top of existing civil penalties. This legislation could make into criminals employers with legitimate disputes over wage claims.

Click here to submit your letter.

SB 1304 – Employment Leave and Benefits

SB 1304 would mandate that private employers provide, per year, paid leave time of up to 30 days for employees donating organs and up to 5 days for employees donating bone marrow. This paid leave time would be in addition to any sick leave, vacation or other types of paid leaves that employers already provide.

Click here to submit your letter.

May 26, 2010

Submit Your Letters Now: Help Stop Six Job-Killing Proposals To Be Considered This Week

SB 928 – Product Notice
SB 928 would require a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of designated consumer products to provide a notice that lists all substances contained in those products and post that information on a website. In essence, SB 928 creates a compliance requirement on California businesses and create an impediment to success and growth for many small businesses that are barely surviving already.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

AB 2138 – Product Management
AB 2138 would impose new and costly mandates on California’s food service industry by prohibiting a food provider, as defined, from distributing a disposable food service packaging or a single-use carryout bag to a consumer unless the packaging or bag is compostable or recyclable. AB 2138 also requires food providers to “recover” the disposable food service packaging or single-use carryout bags for composting or recycling at a rate of 25% or more.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

SB 1113 – Tax Administration: Determination
SB 1113 allows the Franchise Tax Board to sue corporate taxpayers who have won an appeal with the Board of Equalization. This bill imposes the burden of proof on the taxpayer, despite that the taxpayer would essentially be the respondent in an FTB appeal to superior court.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

AB 2230 – List Publicly Traded Companies
AB 2230 requires the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) to compile a report and post on the Internet, private information regarding certain corporate taxpayers, such as the taxpayer’s taxable income, tax expenditures, and effective tax rate, along with the taxpayer’s name and address.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

AB 2171 – Tax Benefit Cost
AB 2171 requires that the cost of tax benefits be accounted for annually within the state budget. This would place limitations on tax benefits that would create uncertainty regarding long-term tax planning, erecting a barrier for businesses to locate their businesses here in California and further aggravating the employment challenges we currently face.
 

Click here to submit your letter.

AB 2666 – Reporting Transparency
AB 2666 requires the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) to compile a report and post on the internet, the name and address of any taxpayer receiving a business credit, along with other private taxpayer information. The measure also requires that the report be made available to the public in a searchable database. This will make the names of the companies that receive business credits and the amount of those benefits public.

Click here to submit your letter.

May 21, 2010

Submit Your Letters: Oppose Four Anti-Job Creating Proposals

SB 920 – Telephone Directories
SB 920 would mandate an already offered opt-out program for customers who do not wish to receive a telephone directory. State law requires phones companies to make this information available. Currently these printed alphabetical directories are the primary source of telephone number information for consumers, especially for those over 45 years of age and those with income under $25,000 annually. This legislation could harm local telephone companies and threaten the future of membership directories published by any business.
 

Click here to take action on this proposal.

AB 2187 – Payment of Wages
AB 2187 would create a new crime subject to punishment in jail and monetary fines of a minimum of $1,000 up to $10,000 if an employer “willfully fails” to pay within 90 days all wages due to an employee who quits or is discharged. This new crime would be on top of existing civil penalties. AB 2187 could hold employers criminally responsible even if they have legitimate wage claim disputes.
 

Click here to take action on this proposal.

AB 2727 Applicant Information – Criminal History
AB 2727 imposes a number of confusing and subjective new standards and criteria that employers must meet and consider when making employment decisions on the basis of an applicant’s prior criminal convictions. This bill also unreasonably expands employer liability by creating a new private
right of action and criminal penalties for violating these new requirements. Current law already provides significant protections to applicants with criminal conviction records.
 

Click here to take action on this proposal.

AB 2340 – Bereavement Leave Mandate
AB 2340 mandates that every employer grant every employee up to three days of unpaid bereavement leave per year upon the death of a spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or domestic partner. The bill further prohibits any adverse action against employees for requesting and taking such leave and creates a private right of action for violations of the bill’s provisions.

Click here to take action on this proposal.

May 6, 2010

Submit Your Letters: Take Action On Three Job-Creating Proposals

AB 2561 – Consolidation of California Department of Energy

AB 2561 willl consolidate the state’s authority for energy policy under a New California Department of Energy (CDOE), creating greater accountability, with clear lines of leadership, responsibility and authority for the development, implementation, and coordination of the state’s energy policy. An overhaul of our state’s energy policy will allow California to implement strategic policies that will create new sources of green energy, maximize energy efficiency, and keep energy costs down for California consumers and businesses alike.
 

Click here to take action now!

AB 1771 – Expanding Small Business Opportunities

AB 1771 will create jobs by opening up new opportunities for small businesses to do business with the state, and would help promote fairness in state purchasing. This will allow small businesses to bid on state contracts that are currently awarded to a state inmate work program.
 

Click here to take action now!

AB 1804 – Employment Training Fund

AB 1804 protects and maximizes the amount of training dollars that stay in the Employment Training Fund (ETF). AB 1804 specifically eliminates the provision that allows for the diversion of ETF dollars to the Department of Social Services (DSS). As one of the State’s only discretionary economic development resources, the Employment Training Panel (ETP) has been an essential tool in addressing the staggering 12.5% unemployment rate, to create new job opportunities and most importantly to help with the retention of jobs.
 

Click here to take action now!

April 30, 2010

Submit Your Letter: Urge Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer To Oppose The New Federal Agency Charged With Imposing More Regulations On Businesses

The U.S. Senate is debating Senate bill S. 3217 which aims to reform the nation’s financial system. However, included in this legislation is the creation of a new federal agency the proposed Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection that would place new burdens on businesses that have nothing to do with the financial crisis.

This bureau would have the authority to regulate most financial services and products. In its current form, S. 3217 fails to achieve the meaningful financial regulatory reform necessary for vibrant capital markets that is needed to fuel long-term economic growth and job creation.
 

Click here to take action now!

April 29, 2010

Submit Your Letters: Take Action On Four Job-Killing Proposals

AB 1604 – Oil Tax

AB 1604 will create an oil severance tax in California. This proposal will burden Californians with higher fuel costs, increase dependence on imported oil and destroy thousands of California jobs. California consumers are facing tough times, with the worst economic recession since the 1930’s. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs and their homes. This is not the time to create further burdens on families by increasing energy costs through AB 1604.

Click here to take action now!

AB 2492 – Property Tax Changes

AB 2492 would remove Proposition 13 protections from business property owners by imposing a “split roll” property tax that targets our state’s employers for a significant increase in property taxes and onerous new tax burdens. This is a "guilty until proven innocent" approach, requiring taxpayers to prove every three years that they did NOT undergo a change-in-ownership that would trigger reassessment. AB 2492 would also result in a tremendous paperwork and tracking burden for both companies and assessors.

Click here to take action now!

SB 1474 – Labor Representation for Agriculture Workers

SB 1474 would undermine the present legal guarantee for secret-ballot elections for union representation in agriculture. SB 1474 would strip California farm workers of their right to decide whether they want union representation in a secret-ballot election exclusively. It would replace private ballots with an unprotected process that will not ensure workers privacy or safeguard them from coercion. This process is nothing more than a “card check” scheme where union representatives provide employees with a card for their signature stating they want the union to be their representative.
 

Click here to take action now!

SB 1304 – Employment Leave and Benefit Changes

SB 1304 would mandate that private employers provide, per year, paid leave time of up to 30 days for employees donating organs and up to 5 days for employees donating bone marrow. This paid leave time would be in addition to any sick leave, vacation or other types of paid leaves that employers already provide.

Creating a new paid leave mandate removes flexibility employers need to balance overlapping leave requests by different employees for a variety of important reasons and can be especially challenging for small businesses with limited staff.
 

Click here to take action now!

April 22, 2010

Action Needed: Submit Your Letters To Oppose Three Job Killing Proposals

SB 967 – Public Contracts

SB 967 proposes to award companies a preference if 90 percent of the employees that “perform work on the contract” are California residents. What is considered “work on the contract”? Is an employee that performs an internal audit on the contract an employee that is working on the contract? Such ambiguity is open to interpretation and therefore subject to litigation that may negate the economic benefits to the contractor.

SB 967 (Correa) will limit choice and drive up prices for consumers and for the state. It will create a net loss of jobs in related industries, retaliation by our trading partners, and violates provisions of the World Trade Organization, as well as, bilateral free trade agreements.

Click here to take action now!

SB 1121 – Agricultural Worker Overtime

SB 1121 would treat agricultural workers the same as regular workers when it comes to overtime payment. Currently, agricultural workers may work 10 hours per day and 6 days a week, before overtime payment is required. Under this legislation, those limits would be reduced to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per work for regular pay. Hours worked beyond that would be on overtime payment.

Click here to take action now!

SB 1231 – Supply Chain Labor

SB 1231 would require entities that contract with the state to certify that slave labor was not utilized in “all raw materials in the supply chain used to produce or manufacture the goods procured.”

Additionally, the bill requires similar certification for building materials costing more than $20,000 for public works projects. Although the goals of the sponsors are well-intended, this legislation places on California employers some expectations that may be infeasible to comply with.

Click here to take action now!

April 19, 2010

Action Needed: Urge U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer To Exempt Auto Dealers From Regulations Imposed By New Federal Agency

Your local car dealers need your help to protect them from undue regulation they could be subjected to under a Senate bill to create a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, which would have the authority to regulate most financial services and products.

Auto dealers are already subjected to regulations by the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Trade Commission and state consumer protection agencies. An amendment being offered by Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) would exempt this industry from these additional regulations. Sign the attached letter urging your support for this amendment.
 

Click here to take action now!

April 16, 2010

Submit Your Letter: Urge Support Of Job Creation & Retention Program

The Enterprise Zone program has proven to be a valuable tool for businesses to receive tax credits and other incentives. Funding for this program is being threatened and we need the state Legislature to continue this program, which has helped to create new jobs, grow existing businesses and allowed California to compete with other states in attracting outside investors.

Submit your letter now to urge state Legislators to continue funding the Enterprise Zone program.

The Enterprise Zone program was designed to help revitalize struggling communities, bolster local economies and help the vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our communities get a hand up, not a hand out. The Program provides much needed tax incentives for businesses to hire more local workers and to help prevent layoffs.

Click here to take action now!

March 11, 2010

Action Needed: Urge Congressmen Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa To Vote Against Healthcare Legislation

A key vote on federal healthcare legislation could take place next week among members of the US House of Representatives and we need to urge our Congressmen Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa to vote against this “job killer” bill.

The last time a bill was before them, they both voted in support. We can’t allow this legislation to move forward because it will increase health care costs, create new burdens on businesses, greatly increase the government’s involvement in the health sector, and raise taxes on individuals and small businesses.

It’s time for Congress to look for new ways to reform our healthcare system rather than saddle businesses with higher costs.

Click here to take action now!

February 17, 2010

Action Needed: Stop The Legislature From Preventing Job Creation

December 21, 2009

November 13, 2009

Action Needed: Express Your Disappointment With Congressmen Costa And Cardoza's Support of Healthcare Legislation

Congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza chose to support H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act, which does little to reform the current healthcare system and instead will increase costs for local business owners and further damage our local economy.

We need to let our elected representatives know how disappointed we are that they chose to support this “job killer legislation”. We need our Congressmen to vote in support of business not against it. Our representatives showed more allegiance to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi rather than their constituents back home.
 

Click to send Congressman Costa a letter.

Click to send Congressman Cardoza a letter.

November 10, 2009

Action Needed: Urge Senators Boxer And Feinstein To Oppose Healthcare Bill

This weekend, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, legislation aimed at reforming the healthcare system. But H.R. 3962 is not the answer we need. This legislation will increase health care costs, create new burdens on businesses, greatly increase the government’s involvement in the health sector, and raise taxes on individuals and small businesses. The Wall Street Journal recently called it “the worst bill ever.”

Unfortunately, two of our Valley Congressmen voted to support this “job killer” legislation that will harm our local economy and make it even more difficult for local business owners to survive in these tough economic times.

The Fresno Chamber is disappointed that Congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza voted in favor of H.R. 3962. The Fresno Chamber commends Congressmen Devin Nunes and George Radanovich for doing the right thing and voting against this legislation.

H.R. 3962 made its way through the House we must now encourage our Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein to make the right decision and oppose the Senate version of the legislation. We need true reform of our healthcare system and this legislation is not the answer.

Click here to take action and submit your letter!

October 13, 2009

Action Needed: Urge Congress To Extend The Homebuyer Tax Credit

The $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit is set to expire by November 30, 2009 and we need your help urging Congress to extend the credit.

This tax credit has helped to improve the Valley’s housing market by allowing more people to move into the housing market.

Local home developers and construction companies have seen the benefits this tax credit has provided.

Please help the local housing market by signing a letter asking our Congressmen and Senators to extend this valuable tax credit.

Click here to take action and submit your letter!

September 21, 2009

Submit Your Letter: Urge The Governor To Continue Discussions On Water Legislation

The Legislature was on the verge of crafting important legislation to ensure a comprehensive solution to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta crisis when the legislative session came to an end. Now the only way to ensure legislation will be enacted before the end of the year is for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to call an extraordinary session of the Legislature to continue their water discussions.

We need the Legislature to approve a final package this year that will ensure the restoration of the Delta and include a bond to pay for new water storage projects.

Click here to submit your letter asking the Governor to keep the momentum going on water reform!

September 14, 2009

Submit Your Letter: Two Important Federal Issues Need Your Action Today!

As Congress begins the fall session, they are undertaking one of history's largest legislative agendas.
 

Consumer Finance

One issue up for debate is H.R. 3126, the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) Act, legislation that would dramatically reshape consumer finance.

This bill, said to be a response to the financial crisis, is set to be another government takeover of American business.

While there were certainly excesses in the financial services industry that hurt many Americans, the one-size-fits-all approach to consumer finance required by this bill is the wrong answer.

 
And it's not just financial companies that will be regulated. Small business will also suffer under this bill.
 

Click here to take action on H.R. 3126.
 

Healthcare

In addition, healthcare reform continues to dominate the legislative agenda.

However, the Fresno Chamber believes the current healthcare proposals are not realistic. The current proposals will increase costs for business by punishing them with even more penalties and taxes for not providing health insurance coverage and creating a system that will force out the private sector in favor of a government-run healthcare plan.

Your voice must be heard! Let our Congressional delegation and our US Senators know that you want a healthcare solution that is affordable and provides adequate coverage.

Click here to take action on healthcare reform.

September 3, 2009

Action Needed: Two Important Issues Impacting Fresno's Local Economy

1. Urge Our Senators To Oppose Cap and Trade Bill

When your Senators return from summer vacation next week, health care isn't the only contentious issue they'll have to address.

They will also consider the so-called "Cap-and-Trade" bill - a deeply flawed measure that will create a new energy tax on every household in America.

The House of Representatives has already passed this bill, although very narrowly, before they recessed for the summer. We must make our voices heard as the debate now shifts to the United States Senate.

This tax will do little or nothing to actually reduce global greenhouse gases - but it will raise energy prices, balloon the EPA's bureaucracy, and threaten American jobs.

Instead of passing this deeply flawed bill, the Senate should start from scratch and focus on helping - and not destroying - American jobs and our economy, by promoting new energies and technologies.

Click here to submit your letter to Feinstein and Boxer.

2. Ease the Burden of California's Fiscal Crisis

This last summer the State Controller began issuing IOUs to pay California's bills as a result of our on-going budget crisis. Since July 2, the state has dispensed 101,930 IOUs. These IOUs total an equivalent of $389 million in vital payments that is effectively being denied to service providers, non-profit organizations, and taxpayers!

While state law requires the public to accept these registered warrants (IOUs) the state is not required to accept such securities as payment. This is a double standard that harms those hardworking taxpayers and contracted businesses caught in the middle.

AB 1506 requires the state to accept its own IOUs as payment for state taxes and fees. This is a fair allowance in order to permit citizens to make necessary payments to the state, such as DMV registration, tax payments, and school tuition.

For example, with this bill if you are a business with state contracts and you receive an IOU for $50,000 from the state, and you also owe the state $50,000 in payroll taxes, you would be able to send the IOU to the Franchise Tax Board as payment for your tax obligation.

Click here to submit your letter on AB 1506.

August 24, 2009

Take Action: Support Senator Chuck Poochigian's Appointment To The 5th District Court Of Appeal
 

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he is appointing former Fresno-area State Senator Chuck Poochigian to the 5th District Court of Appeal.

But his appointment is not a done deal and must still be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

We need your help in urging the commission to confirm Senator Chuck Poochigian, who is a long-time friend to the Fresno Chamber and the Fresno business community.
 

August 18, 2009

Fresno Chamber Releases Position On Federal Healthcare Reforms

The United States has the world’s best health care system, but it is being priced out of reach for more and more American citizens and companies. Companies struggle to find health care plans that provide adequate coverage and are still affordable, and worry about what will come next year.
 

Click here to take action on healthcare reform.

The Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes that most health care coverage is provided by employers. To make it easier for employers and their employees to afford the health care coverage they need, we support legislative action to:
 
1. Retain viable employer-sponsored health care. Employers provide voluntary health insurance to over 177 million. ERISA allows many of them the flexibility to provide uniform benefits to their employees. ERISA is the backbone of employer-provided coverage and must be preserved.
 

2. Reform the delivery system including payment and reimbursement reform to reduce costs while increasing quality and outcomes including:

- Implementation of comprehensive strategies to boost health information technology, wellness, prevention, disease management, and coordination of care.
 

- Create a more vibrant private health insurance market for individuals and small businesses.
 

- Hold down soaring health care costs due to the explosive growth in medical liability awards and insurance costs through specialized health courts.
 

- Encourage more Americans to purchase health insurance by enacting refundable tax credits for that purpose.
 

- Encourage more Americans to save for medical expenses tax-free by expanding Health Saving Accounts and allowing those with Flexible Spending Accounts to roll over unused balances to pay for future medical expenses.
 
The Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce does not support legislative action that would:
 
1. Create a Government-run (Public) plan:  A government-run plan would be an unfair competitor, with the government acting as both a team owner and the referee. Government programs shift costs to the private sector. The Lewin Group estimates 130 million people would move from private to public insurance. This could lead to a government-controlled single-payer system.
 

2. Create Employer Mandates: Punishing employers who cannot afford to provide health insurance coverage, including requirements to pay or play, is not the answer. Employer mandates, by their nature limit flexibility and innovation - the cornerstones of American health care. 
 

3. Create Minimum Required Coverage Level:  Proposing a huge Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)-like minimum coverage package will bankrupt employers and workers. Cadillac, gold-plated coverage like this will not appeal to the young. The minimum level of coverage should be more akin to a high-deductible health plan with coverage of preventative services.
 

4. Impose additional tax burdens individuals or businesses:  The implementation of new taxes and fees for businesses and/or individuals that cannot afford health insurance would be dramatically counterproductive.  Further, the taxation of health benefits will lead to a reduction in benefits offered by employers and will lead to higher taxes for many individuals and businesses.

August 7, 2009

Take Action: These Three Most Important Issues Demand Your Involvement

The Fresno Chamber is active representing the interests of the Fresno business community at all levels of government. Our success depends on your involvement. So, we need your help.

Click on each proposed law listed below to submit your letter.

Click here to submit your letter on AB 2

Click here to submit your letter on AB 943

Click here to submit your letter on SB 227