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| California Chamber Chair Raymond W. Holdsworth |
(October 28, 2003) The magnitude of anti-business legislation passed this year and the 2003 California Chamber of Commerce vote record clearly show that more legislators need to understand the connection between their votes and a favorable jobs climate in California.
Even as the jobless rate in California continued to trend above the national average, legislators approved enormous new burdens on employers. Among the worst 'job killers' the Legislature passed were a new multibillion-dollar health care tax and labor law legislation described in one newspaper headline as the 'sue-your-boss' bill. More Employer Burdens
Earlier in the year, the Legislature passed and Governor Gray Davis signed another bill creating a new incentive to file frivolous lawsuits against employers by ordering employers to pay attorney fees and costs if a worker is awarded even one penny by a court.
Resource-based industries in California, such as timber, already operating under some of the most stringent requirements in the nation, will be hit with new unnecessary and cost-increasing regulatory burdens passed by the Legislature.
The Legislature also passed proposals to prevent employers from using cost-saving pre-dispute binding arbitration in employment contracts and to encourage even more frivolous lawsuits by presuming certain employer actions are retaliatory if they occur within 60 days of an employee filing a claim under the Labor Code. Fortunately, these bills were vetoed and will not become law.
Anti-Jobs Vote
The vote record displays the anti-jobs attitude even more clearly. Fewer than half the members of either the Senate or Assembly put jobs first -- voting in accord with the Chamber position 80 percent or more of the time (see chart).
The vast majority of members in the Senate and Assembly voted against creating and retaining jobs in California -- voting in accord with the Chamber position less than 40 percent of the time.
Get Involved
At the Chamber's business legislative summit in May, we urged employers to get informed on the issues and get involved in the political process. Legislators and our other elected officials must respond to their constituencies, and a sizable constituency is business, which employs 82.2 percent of non-farm workers.
For proof that your involvement as voters can make a difference, look no farther than the recall election this month. Throughout his campaign, candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger focused on keeping the state open for business. The overwhelming support he received from Californians showed his pro-jobs message resonated with voters across the political spectrum.
Legislators cast the votes in this year's vote record before the voters spoke. They will have another chance soon. As Governor-Elect Schwarzenegger tackles the fiscal and other crises facing California, legislators need to show their constituents that they care about jobs too.
Again, we encourage all business leaders to exert vocal, local pressure on your legislators. And if they don't listen, hold them accountable. Remember that 2004 is an election year.
Raymond W. Holdsworth is chair of the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and president of AECOM Technology Corporation, Los Angeles.