"Elected leaders need to figure out how to get people into housing, and then, how to elevate their economic status."
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Rep. Katie Hill at
VICA's Congressional Luncheon
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United States Representatives Meet with VICA Members at Congressional Luncheon
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| Presenting Sponsor Martin Adams (Los Angeles Department of Water & Power), Rep. Tony Cardenas, Presenting Sponsor Steve Nissen (Comcast NBCUniversal), Rep. Katie Hill, VICA Chair Lisa Gritzner (LG Strategies), Rep. Brad Sherman, Presenting Sponsor Robin Choi (Wells Fargo), and Rep. Jimmy Gomez. |
Last week, four local members of Congress joined VICA at our 6th Annual Congressional Luncheon. Congressmembers Tony Cárdenas, Jimmy Gomez, Katie Hill, and Brad Sherman joined VICA members at
The Garland
to discuss issues including new technologies, international trade, healthcare, housing, and their hopes for the future of Congress.
After a networking reception and introductory
remarks by VICA Board Member Robin Choi (
Wells Fargo
), VICA Vice Chair Steve Nissen (
Comcast NBCUniversal
) asked Rep. Katie Hill about her first year in Congress, and priorities including homelessness. Hill pointed to legislation that the House has passed in the last year, including gun control, the Equality Act, and legislation impacting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients.
Next, Rep. Tony Cardenas was interviewed by VICA First Vice Chair Brad Rosenheim (
Rosenheim and Associates
). Cardenas spoke about the importance of manufacturing to many San Fernando Valley residents, including the impact of tariffs and how tax credits for research and development can be so critical. We need to "make sure that [the US] continues to be the leader in the world when it comes to innovation in healthcare, elections, anything," he said, calling for incentives in the tax code to make sure we can stay ahead.
 VICA Board Member and co-sponsor Scott Mills (The Garland) invited Rep. Brad Sherman onto the stage, where they spoke about issues ranging from cryptocurrency to nuclear threats to the 2020 election. Sherman decried the "manifest failure for the last twenty years" which allowed North Korea to develop nuclear weapons and effective delivery methods, and noted the critical importance of effective diplomacy, saying that "the reason we're all sitting here alive today is the nuclear non proliferation treaty."
VICA Chair Lisa Gritzner (
LG Strategies
) rounded out
the discussion with Rep. Jimmy
Gomez. The two
discussed his leadership role in Future Forum,
which examines student loan debt and other issues facing young Americans. " 'Young' is relative in Congress," Gomez cracked. Gomez also spoke about the challenges of new technology, noting that "coming from California, we're always cognizant of the fact that innovations come out of technology, [so] how do you balance civil liberties with letting companies grow. We've dealt with that with autonomous vehicles."
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
General Manager Martin Adams thanked all our Congressmembers and VICA members for joining us at the event. Our thanks to presenting sponsors
Comcast NBCUniversal
,
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
, and
Wells Fargo, and to co-sponsors
The Garland,
Los Angeles Daily News,
PhRMA, and
Wonnacott Strategies.
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A Flurry of Activity in the Legislature
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As the Legislature heads into the final two weeks of session, VICA is paying close attention to bills which will impact the San Fernando Valley. Lawmakers and VICA are focused on some big issues, including the independent contractor issue. AB 5 is the bill that would codify the decision but exempt certain industries
that have traditionally relied on an independent contractor model, and it continues to be negotiated in the Legislature. Another major issue is privacy, and making sure that unintended consequences are limited following the hastily-passed California Consumer Privacy Act, which is due to take effect on January 1, 2020.
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Other major bills include AB 1066, which would allow striking workers to claim unemployment benefits,
potentially extending strikes even though unemployment benefits are for people involuntarily unemployed. AB 161, a bill that would ban retailers from providing paper receipts, has been amended so that businesses would be required to use non-BPS paper, which is significantly more expensive. AB 1270 is another bill which would hurt small businesses, by essentially providing a private right of action for tax fraud cases. Similarly to ADA and PAGA laws, this would mean that anyone could threaten to sue your business for tax fraud, forcing you to defend yourself even if you haven't done anything wrong.
Finally, VICA continues to push for policies that will help address California's growing housing crisis by supporting bills like SB 330, which would help expedite housing construction by speeding up the permitting process for new developments and capping the amount of public hearings to 5 for new housing projects. VICA-sponsored bill AB 1560, which would help bring more housing along
Metro's Orange Line, has made it out of Senate Appropriations and is expected to pass out of the Senate Floor.
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LAST CHANCE TO NOMINATE
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR 2020
VICA's 2020 Board of Directors nomination and selection process is underway, and we want your nominations!
Board members must be able to attend regular board meetings and be prepared to vote on a wide variety of public policy issues. Board members must also attend regular committee meetings and VICA events. Additional responsibilities may include calling or writing lawmakers, attending press conferences, testifying, authoring editorials, interacting with top opinion leaders and more.
For more information on the 2020 Board of Directors guidelines, click here .
If you or someone you know is interested in participating on the board in 2020, please click on the nomination form below and submit to [email protected]. If you don't want to serve on the board, but are interested in serving as a committee chair, please let us know that on the nomination form. Applications are due by Friday, September 6.
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| Submit your Nominee to Cathy at [email protected]. |
Harmon Ballin Community Service Award
Nomination & Selection Process
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LAST CHANCE TO NOMINATE
VICA's Harmon Ballin Community Service Award annually honors an active VICA member who has made an outstanding contribution to our community through their long-term community service activities. A nominee is someone who:
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- Has been an active VICA member and is actively engaged in the organization currently.
- Has significant and long-term involvement in philanthropic and community/public serve organizations or a significant record in that area.
- Is a role model as a community leader
All Nominee forms must be submitted via email to
[email protected] by
Friday, September 6, 2019.
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| Submit your Nominee to Cathy at [email protected]. |
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Experience the IDEAL Conference, built just for you!
Be inspired, ignite change, and level up at The IDEAL Conference on September 18-19, 2019 at The Garland in North Hollywood. Connect with 40 inspiring experts and choose from 24 sessions that will give you new strategies and methods to further your business.
VICA members save 20% with the CCRCPartner20 discount code.
Register now and save!
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Saturday, November 9, 2019
Sheraton Universal
Join us for our Comics For Kids Gala and Auction event. This is Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley's premier fundraising event attended by over 300 guests! This year's event will be featuring Jay Leno and will honor community leaders and philanthropists while featuring entertainment, dining, live and silent auctions, as well as VIP experiences.
FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT:
Kelly Ventimiglia
818-610-1054
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Member Messages:
Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!
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VICA members can promote their business, events and news in VICA Weekly. Member messages are available for $50 per week or $175 for four weeks. Messages are text-based and may not contain more than 70 words. A logo may be added for an additional $5 per week. For more information or to schedule your member message, contact
[email protected]
or
call (818) 817-0545.
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