State Capitol Visits

March 2006
 

Worker’s Compensation
 

During the Multi-Chamber Forum in December of 2005 our business community recognized Worker’s Compensation as the most crucial issue affecting the business right now in the greater Fresno area.
The current policy that the Fresno Chamber upholds for workers’ compensation is as follows:

“Monitor reforms and provide recommendations on future workers’ compensation reform measures to reduce financial impact to businesses.”

Currently, there are three pending workers’ compensation ballot initiatives that would roll back the 2004 reforms, titled the “Worker Empowerment Act.” All three versions of the Worker’s Empowerment Act propose to eliminate the use of medical provider networks, established under the provisions of SB 899, and reinstate the ability of the injured workers and/or their advocates to, after 30 days, select a different doctor who would be granted a presumption of correctness.

Versions 1 and 2 of the workers’ compensation initiative also include provisions that would eliminate workers’ compensation as the exclusive remedy for injured workers and grant injured workers the ability to select between the existing system and an action at law or tort. In essence, injured workers would be able to sue their employer for injuries sustained at work.
In addition to these proposals, Version 3 of the initiative proposes an increase in benefits for injured workers that could be greatly inflated by any prospective increase in the minimum wage.
 

The Fresno Chamber opposes the Worker’s Empowerment Act and supports Californians AGAINST the JOB KILLER Initiative to rally the business community in opposing the rollback of the 2004 reforms.

Minimum Wage
 

In 2005 an increase in minimum wage made it all the way to the Governor’s desk before it was vetoed. This year the effort for an increase in minimum wage has doubled, and the Chamber is prepared to continue its fight for the business community. The current policy that the Fresno Chamber upholds for minimum wage is as follows:

“Oppose policies that mandate government imposed wage mandates that do not consider regional economic conditions and/or the impacts to local employers”

Currently there are four bills that are set to go to the committee on March 29, 2006:

- AB 1835 AB 1835 (Lieber; D-Mountain View) raises the state minimum wage to $7.25 in 2007 and to $7.75 in 2008, and indexes increases every year thereafter.
- AB 1844 (Chavez; D-La Puente) also proposes raising the state minimum wage to $7.25 in 2007 and to $7.75 in 2008, and indexes increases every year thereafter.
- SB 1162 (Cedillo; D-Los Angeles) boosts the state minimum wage to $7.25 on September 1, 2006, and to $7.75 on July 1, 2007, and indexes increases every year thereafter.
- SB 1167 (Maldanado; R-Santa Maria) raises the state minimum wage to $7.25 on September 1, 2006, and to $7.75 on July 1, 2007.

The Fresno Chamber would like our local legislator’s to include three proposed mandates that will lessen the burden to businesses:

- Exempt pay is unbundled from a minimum wage increase
- Provide a concession for depressed counties with high unemployment
- Over time pay is paid after 40 hours worked in a week, as opposed to after an 8 hour day.

Support Our Local Legislators

So far this year our local legislators have shown great representation for the business community in the greater Fresno Area, and we would like to encourage support for their current pro business legislation.

AB 2330: Small Business Costs Study, Assemblymember Arambula
Chamber Position: Support

Requires The Office of Small Business Advocates to commission a study of the cost of state regulation on small businesses and make recommendations on how to reduce the cost of the impact.


AB 2502: Small Business Tax Credit Transfers, Assemblymember Arambula
Chamber Position: Support

Authorizes small businesses with less than 50 employees to transfer the value of certain tax credits to other state tax liabilities owed by the business.


AB 2553: Air Quality Mitigation Zones, Assemblymember Arambula
Chamber Position: Support in Concept
Creates an air quality mitigation zone for the purpose of creating jobs and reducing air pollution and allows a 10% tax credit on tools that help reduce air pollution.

AB 2217: 40-hour Work Week, Assemblymember Villlines
Chamber Position: Support in Concept (Official Position in April 2006)
This bill would exempt individual, nonexempt employees from the alternative workweek, and would permit each individual, nonexempt employee to adopt an alternative workweek schedule providing for workdays up to 10 hours per day within a 40-hour workweek, with no fixed workweek without the payment of overtime compensation, provided the employee submits a written request for that schedule to the employer, and the request is approved by the employer.

AB 2277: Workplace Postings, Assemblymember Villines
Chamber Position: Support in Concept (Official Position in April 2006)
This bill would require that workplace postings and notices be written in plain language so that employers and employees can easily understand them.
 

April 2006

Volunteers Leaders Conference and Business Legislative Summit

In April, Chamber CEO Al Smith, Governmental Affairs Manager Amy Huerta, Chairman Geil, Chair Elect Salisch, GA Division Vice Chair Dunn, GAC Chair Evans, GAC Member Maul attended the two-day State Chamber VolunteerLeaders Conference and Business Legislative Summit. This event provides the opportunity to learn best practices of other Chambers, to attend sessions regarding issues impacting business and California’s econmy and to identify opportunities to enhance the program of work of the Fresno Chamber including our increasing our advocacy efforts and representation of business.
On day two, the Chamber attended the 80th Annual Host Breakfast, with featured guest speaker, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who has been a friend of the business community. We look forward to supporting him in his bid for re-election.,

Joint Meeting with Assemblymember Villines, Assemblymember Arambula, and Assemblymember Cogdill on April 24, 2006.

The Fresno Chamber discussed the following issues:

- $1 billion for Highway 99
- Temperance Flat
- Minimum Wage Increases

Contact Kerri Ginis, the Chamber's Government Affairs Manager for more information at (559) 495-4818 or kginis@fresnochamber.com