2020 Business Legislative Advocacy Committee Actions
The Good...
COVID-19 Business Relief Bills (Support)
The Chamber has been active in advocating for federal and state relief for small business. The federal government continues to work on multiple phases of relief, some of the chambers advocacy positions can be found
HERE
and
HERE
. We have also been active at the state level, advocating for actions that do not always catch the media spotlight, for instance how insurance payouts are handled relative to business disruption.
HERE
.
AB 1907 Addresses Affordable Housing (Support)
Affordable family housing that is crucial for our local workforce continues to be an issue in our valley and state. AB 1907 looks to make building affordable housing projects easier by easing CEQA requirements.
HERE
Contractors & Small Business Operators Unemployment Benefits (Support)
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, independent contractors were being denied access to vital unemployment benefits. The chamber advocated strongly on their behalf in an effort to get the State to change the way they processed these claims, granting relief to a key segment of our local business community.
HERE
The BAD...
Presumption of Injury Bills (Oppose)
The Chamber has pushed back on several COVID-19 bills that advanced the idea of "presumption of injury", basically if a worker fell ill with COVID-19 it was automatically assumed they contracted it at work. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) estimated these actions would add billions in costs to California’s workers’ compensation system. Opposition to these bills can be found
HERE
(AB 196),
HERE
(AB 664), and
HERE (SB 893).
AB 2843 Proposes Head Tax (Oppose)
The bill would add significant costs to many of our local businesses that are already struggling to maintain their operations during this pandemic and create yet another barrier to employers who attempt to maintain staffing or pay for their workforce. Specifically, AB 2843 would require a city, county, or city and county to impose an annual tax of up to $150 per employee on applicants for a local business license, based on employee count.
HERE
SB 50 Seeks 28-Day Notice to Change Employee Shift (Oppose)
SB 850 would require an employer to provide modification pay to workers when it changes an employee’s schedule passed a certain date, and open the employer to civil action under the Private Attorney Generals Act (PAGA) for noncompliance. While we are supportive to the underlying goal of providing greater notice for employees, this bill’s provisions would ultimately hurt employers and employees.
HERE
The Local...
Coachella BUILD Grant (Support)
The GCVCC often advocates on behalf of local projects and grants that would have a positive impact on our business community through infrastructure improvement, public space use and other issues that impact our quality of life in the Coachella Valley. One such project this year is the State Route 86 / Avenue 50 Interchange Project in the City of Coachella.
HERE
