(April 16, 2009) The California Chamber of Commerce yesterday released its annual list of job creating legislation, bills that, if passed, will improve the state’s job climate and stimulate economic recovery.
“Our policy makers must focus on passing bills that will improve our job climate now,” said Allan Zaremberg, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce. “These ‘job creator’ bills include solutions that will enhance our economy by significantly reducing costs to employers, providing balanced regulatory policies, reforming the legal climate, increasing construction jobs and encouraging investments. The Legislature should support tax credits that will immediately incentivize companies to hire and policies that will allow federal stimulus funds to go farther. If ever there was a time to pass legislation that will result in the immediate hiring of people, it is now.”
In response to the release of the "job creator" list, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said: “In this economy it’s vital that we do everything we can to create jobs, and I commend the California Chamber of Commerce for shedding light on many of the bills in this year’s session that aim to do that. My Administration is reviewing the bills on the list as well as others that will help stimulate the economy and create jobs. It is imperative that we work together to quickly pass legislation that will reduce unnecessary litigation, spur job creation, and address California’s water infrastructure needs.”
Job Creators
So far for 2009, 14 proposals have been identified as CalChamber “job creators,” although more may be added as bills are amended during the legislative process. In addition, a number of tax credit proposals have been introduced that have yet to be added to the list. Those proposals will be considered for addition to the “job creator” list as more information becomes available. 
For more information visit www.calchamber.com/jobcreators.
The CalChamber list of “job creators” includes the following proposed measures:
BALANCED REGULATION
AB 1107 (Blakeslee; R-San Luis Obispo) Economic Review of Regulations — Reduces the likelihood that overly burdensome regulations will be adopted by ensuring that accurate, science-based assessments are conducted, revealing the true cost to California businesses and the economy. (Bill Last Amended 4/13/09)
SB 356 (Wright; D-Inglewood) Small Business Impact Analysis — Improves climate for small business by reforming the regulatory development process to include a specific small business economic impact analysis and other provisions that mitigate the cost of regulation to small business.
ENCOURAGES INVESTMENTS
AB 765 (Caballero; D-Salinas) Research and Development Credit — Encourages investment and jobs in research and development by increasing the research and development tax credit rate from 15% to 20%, in conformity with federal law, beginning in 2011.
SB 699 (Alquist; D-Santa Clara) Manufacturing Investment Incentive — Encourages investment and jobs in manufacturing by establishing a sales and use tax exemption for manufacturing equipment, beginning in 2013. (Bill Last Amended 4/2/09)
IMPROVED LEGAL CLIMATE
SB 287 (R. Calderon; D-Montebello) Comprehensive Meal Period Solution — Reduces unnecessary litigation costs for all employers by providing clarity and guidance for complying with and enforcing meal period laws so employees have the opportunity to take meal breaks, enter into on-duty meal period agreements in appropriate situations, and collectively bargain for meal periods.
SB 380 (Dutton; R-Rancho Cucamonga) Meal Period Clarification — Reduces unnecessary litigation costs for employers by providing clarity and guidance for complying with meal period laws by clarifying how employees take meal breaks, enter into on-duty meal period agreements, and revising the timeframe for recovering penalties.
SB 393 (Harman; R-Huntington Beach) Court Awards — Improves fairness and equity of court awards by tying the interest rate on judgments to more closely follow the prime rate.
SB 807 (Benoit; R-Bermuda Dunes) Meal Period Clarification — Reduces unnecessary litigation costs for employers by providing clarity and guidance for complying with meal period laws by clarifying how employees take meal breaks, enter into on-duty meal period agreements, and revising the timeframe for recovering penalties. (Bill Last Amended 4/2/09)
INCREASED CONSTRUCTION JOBS
AB 333 (Fuentes; D-Sylmar) New Home Construction — Ensures a smooth and seamless recovery of the residential housing market and that the necessary entitlements are in place by extending expiring subdivision maps for a period of 5 years.
SB 49 (Dutton; R-Rancho Cucamonga) Homebuyer Tax Credit — Encourages recovery in the residential housing market by raising the funding cap on an already-successful economic stimulus program that offers homebuyers a $10,000 personal income tax credit for new home purchases. (Bill Last Amended 4/14/09)
SB 371 (Cogdill; R-Modesto) Water Supply Bond — Creates a multitude of high-paying construction jobs and an array of other jobs in restoration and clean-up projects and provides long-term stability to the business climate by authorizing a $9.98 billion general obligation bond for water infrastructure needs.
WORKPLACE IMPROVEMENTS/TRAINING
AB 141 (Tran; R-Costa Mesa) Flexible Work Schedules — Helps employees and employers achieve greater flexibility in work schedules by allowing workers to request and employers to mutually agree to a four-day 40-hour workweek without the payment of overtime.
AB 816 (Hagman; R-Chino Hills) Employment Training — Helps California workers and companies stay competitive by ensuring that employer-generated funds are available to train employees for businesses that are locating or expanding in California, as well as those that are retraining employees to make California operations more viable. (Bill Last Amended 4/15/09)
SB 187 (Benoit; R-Bermuda Dunes) Flexible Work Schedules — Helps employees and employers achieve greater flexibility in work schedules by allowing workers to request and employers to mutually agree to a four-day 40-hour workweek without the payment of overtime.
For more information visit www.calchamber.com/jobcreators.
Related Top Stories & Videos