April 8, 2008

Chamber Leaders Advocate for Small Business in State Assembly Labor and Employment Committee

Al Smith, Fresno Chamber President and CEO, along with Government Affairs Manager, Amy Huerta and Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee, Ruth Evans (pictured right) testified before the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 1:30 on AB 2127 the Small Business Family Scheduling Option of 2008.

 

This bill would have allowed small business to offer creative, flexible schedules in order to attract and retain top level talent.

This is the first bill the Fresno Chamber has co-sponsored. In that role, Chamber leaders have played an important role in crafting the language of the law as well as gaining support for the bill in Fresno and in the Capitol. Smith, Huerta and Evans also participated in a press conference with CalChamber at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning before they testify.

After the bill failed to pass out of the stacked Labor and Employment Committee, with 6 Democrats and 2 Republicans, Ruth Evans did not leave without a fight. After the hearing she fired off a letter to the chair of the committee, and sent an Op-Ed to the Fresno Bee and Fresno Business Journal encouraging local businesses to understand the unfriendly business environment in our state capitol.

 

Click here for Chair Evans' letter to the Assembly Committee.

 

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