(July 31, 2006) Among the many priority bills for the California Chamber and business community that await action when legislators return from their summer recess on August 7 are several “job killer” bills.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider several bills that place expensive, unnecessary regulatory burdens on business and another that will lead to fuel price increases.

“Since Governor Schwarzenegger took office, virtually no ‘job killer’ legislation has become law and the state has enjoyed a corresponding period of economic growth, higher revenues and job gains,” said Chamber President Allan Zaremberg. “To keep these positive trends going, legislators need to stop the ‘job killer’ bills now.”

August 9 Hearing

On the August 9 hearing schedule for Assembly Appropriations are:

• SB 1205 (Escutia; D-Norwalk) Punitive Regulation: Makes California unattractive to business by raising maximum fines for emission violations, creating a new category of violators with no due process for the determination of who is a violator while ignoring that there is no demonstrated connection between penalties and emission rates.
  
  
• SB 1252 (Florez; D-Shafter) Resource Regulation: Penalizes businesses that are in the process of implementing the latest air standards by imposing an additional civil penalty.
  
  
• SB 1379 (Perata; D-Oakland) Biomonitoring: Makes California unfriendly to business by establishing a biomonitoring program that could generally lead to the elimination or reduction of use of certain chemicals that have not been scientifically proven harmful, based on mere detection.
  
  
• SB 1675 (Kehoe; D-San Diego) Increases Gas Prices: Creates market volatility, ignores current operational limitations and supply availability by mandating the use of biodiesel in fuels.

Action Needed

The Chamber is urging businesses to contact members of Assembly Appropriations and urge them to oppose the “job killers.”

For a full list of the “job killer” bills and their status, visit www.calchamber.com/jobkillers.

A list including “job killers” and other major business bills, plus their status when legislators reconvene.

Staff Contact: Moira Topp