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| Kamala Harris |
(June 16, 2010) “Looking Ahead from the California Primary,” was the focus of the California Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Council June retreat, held June 14-15 at the CalChamber office in Sacramento.
The conference’s agenda focused on the results of the 2010 primary election, the governor’s race, a look ahead at the initiatives on the November ballot, major policy issues facing the business community in 2010, and evaluating how businesses can create new permanent jobs in the current legislative climate.
The goal of the conference and the Public Affairs Council is to provide member companies with the insider information they need to make good decisions on both the policy and politics in Sacramento.
Kamala Harris, California Democrat candidate for attorney general, was the special guest speaker at the reception opening the conference on Monday evening. She spoke to the group about her record as a career prosecutor in the Bay Area and her commitment to justice for all Californians. Harris outlined what she called a “difficult race” to November and highlighted her track record of succeeding with limited resources and budgets. Harris also discussed her belief that California needs to be more innovative and she reiterated her commitment to the business community and strong support for public private partnerships.
Public Affairs Council Chair Gillian Zucker, a CalChamber Board member and president of the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, presided over the two-day gathering along with CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg.
The first panel on Tuesday featured dueling pollsters, who offered overviews on the primary election and speculations on the general election. The moderator was Carolyn McIntyre, president of the California Cable Television Association. Panelists included Jim Moore, principal with Moore Information; Jan Van Lohuizen, president of Voter Consumer Research; and Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).
The second panel of the day discussed the gubernatorial election, with panelists handicapping the race. Frank Washington, CalChamber Board member and CEO of Moon Shot Communications, led the panel, which included Roger Salazar, partner with Acosta Salazar Public Affairs; Joe Shumate, president of Joe Shumate and Associates; Rob Stutzman, principal with Stutzman Public Affairs; and California Senator Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks).
The myriad of initiatives on the November ballot were the focus of the third panel of the day. Donna Lucas, founder and president of Lucas Public Affairs, moderated the panel. Panelists included Scott Day, government relations manager for the California Teachers Association; Christy Wilson, senior vice president at Goddard Claussen; Adam Mendelsohn, partner with Mercury Public Affairs; and Frank Schubert, partner from Schubert Flint Public Affairs.
The luncheon keynote speaker, Steve Cooley, California Republican candidate for attorney general, outlined his positions on a variety of top issues pertaining to public safety. Cooley highlighted his history as a career prosecutor and three-term district attorney of Los Angeles. He also discussed what he believes the role of the attorney general should be to help California’s business climate.
Following the luncheon speaker, Jeanne Cain, CalChamber executive vice president, policy, presented an update on priority business legislation from the 2010 legislative session. She gave the history of the “job killer” and “job creator” bill lists, while also summarizing the status of those proposals.
The final panel of the day looked at how businesses can succeed and create permanent jobs in California’s legislative climate. Cain served as moderator of the panel, which included Jose Hermocillo, senior vice president at APCO Worldwide; John Moffatt, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s chief deputy legislative secretary; and Nathan Barankin, director of communications for California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento).
Additional follow-up coverage of the June retreat will appear on the CalChamber website at www.calchamber.com/publicaffairs.
Planning is already underway for the Public Affairs Council post-election retreat, which will be held November 10-12 in Riverside.
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| (left to right) John Moffatt, Jose Hermocillo, Nathan Barankin |
For additional information on the council and how to become a member, please contact Rob Lapsley at
rob.lapsley@calchamber.com.
Staff Contact: Rob Lapsley