The Council’s Sacramento Advocacy Trip has officially sold out! On March 21-22, a large group of leaders from a diverse array of industry sectors will join the Council in Sacramento to share the voice of business with state leaders in the Legislature and Newsom administration. Newly announced speakers include Senate Housing Chair Scott Wiener, CalSTA Secretary Toks Omishakin, and HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. See the full speaker list (subject to change). Thank you to Title Sponsor: Southern California Edison and sponsors: AAA, Disneyland Resort, American Career College/West Coast University, Building Industry Association of Southern California, Irvine Ranch Water District, KLM Strategies, and SoCalGas.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a breach of democracy with violations of international law that are sure to have even further ramifications. However, it is still too soon to identify to what extent the just-imposed sanctions will have on the world market and the global supply chain. Russia is currently California's 36th largest export destination and Ukraine is California's 49th largest out of 226 export markets. California exported a total of $175B in 2021 with $472M in goods to Russia and $252M in goods to Ukraine. Read more in this special report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) wants your feedback on how to improve congestion in the State Route 91 (SR-91) corridor area. The goal of the SR-91 Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan Study is to enhance mobility options and provide transportation choices on and around the SR-91 freeway by encouraging multimodal projects that improve transit and rail service as well as active transportation such as biking and walking. The public is invited to attend a virtual community webinar on Wed., March 2 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Take the online survey or learn more.

With more than 25% of its service territory in high fire risk areas, Southern California Edison (SCE) is committed to reducing wildfire risk and protecting the safety of its customers and communities. As the state braces for another potential season of wildfires, SCE crews continue their work to make improvements, such as installing hi-tech wildfire mitigation tools and technologies to make communities safer and more resilient. This will also help to reduce the number of Public Safety Power Shutoffs. Read more about SCE's Wildfire Mitigation Plan successes from 2021 and goals for 2022. Visit SCE's Resources & Support webpage to learn how to be prepared for an emergency.

OCTA is the first large transit agency in the region to offer free bus rides to all youth ages 6 to 18 on an ongoing basis. The decision to extend the Youth Ride Free Pass indefinitely follows the success of a six-month promotional program, which offered the pass through Orange County school districts and the OCTA store and allowed youth to ride the bus to school and other local destinations. Free rides for children also apply when they are riding with an adult. Where will you ride today?

OCBC's Workforce Development Committee recently hosted First 5 Orange County for a discussion on how inadequate child care impacts Orange County's economy. First 5 OC's findings show that the lack of child care options in the county creates $4.3B in lost productivity and wages, $372M annually in lost tax revenue and 67,000 lost jobs. Stakeholders at all levels, including the business community, must do more to overcome these shortfalls. Read more in the Orange County Child Care Landscape Analysis. To learn more, contact Jesse Ben-Ron, OCBC's VP of Workforce and Economic Development.

During OCBC's latest Workforce Housing Committee meeting, Steven Thomas, Chief Economist for Reports on Housing, and OCBC's Chief Economic Advisor, Dr. Wallace Walrod, outlined economic factors influencing a "supply catastrophe" that results in new homes being bought at alarmingly fast rates. Laura Archuleta of Jamboree Housing, and Helen O'Sullivan of NeighborWorks OC and Orange County Housing Trust provided updates on numerous significant affordable housing projects in the pipeline, including the Trust's support of the Center of Hope in Anaheim. To get involved, contact Connor Medina, OCBC's Government Affairs Manager.