GRC / Chamber Board Positions – Archive

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce is proud to be part of the more than 110 allied organizations expressing strong opposition to two bills which passed the Assembly yesterday. AB 84 (Ting) and SB 95 (Skinner) would mandate the addition of up to 80 hours of employer-paid COVID-19 sick leave retroactive to January 1, 2021. Please Click Here to read the letter that was submitted to the State Legislature on March 15, 2021.

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce has submitted a letter of Support for AB 219. Please click here to read the letter to Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua with our reasoning for our support.

Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and Local Government Funding

Oppose: A “no” vote opposes this constitutional amendment, thus continuing to tax commercial and industrial properties based on a property’s purchase price, with annual increases equal to the rate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is lower.

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce is proud to be a part of the coalition with the California Chamber of Commerce urging Governor Newsom to withhold his support of Prop 15. See below for the letter that was sent to the Governor on Wednesday, August 12, 2020. Also see below for the California Chamber of Commerce No on 15 page.

Letter to Governor Newsom (August 12, 2020)

California Chamber of Commerce No on 15 page

Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment (2020)

Oppose: A “no” vote opposes this constitutional amendment, thereby keeping Proposition 209 (1996), which says that the state cannot discriminate against or grant preferential treatment to persons on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting

Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment

Oppose: A “no” vote opposes this constitutional amendment, thereby continuing to prohibit people who are on parole for felony convictions from voting.

Primary Voting for 17-Year-Olds Amendment

No Position: insufficient business impact.

Property Tax Transfers, Exemptions, and Revenue for Wildfire Agencies and Counties

Oppose: A “no” vote opposes this constitutional amendment, therefore continuing to:

• allow eligible homeowners to transfer their tax assessments within counties and to homes of equal or lesser market value
• keep the number of times that persons over 55 years old or with severe disabilities can transfer their tax assessments at one
• allow the tax assessments on inherited homes, including those not used as principal residences, to be transferred from parent to child or grandparent to grandchild.

Criminal Sentencing, Parole, and DNA Collection

Support: A “yes” vote supports this initiative to add crimes to the list of violent felonies for which early parole is restricted; re-categorize certain types of theft and fraud crimes as wobblers (chargeable as misdemeanors or felonies); and require DNA collection for certain misdemeanors.

Local Rent Control Initiative

Oppose: A “no” vote opposes this ballot initiative, thereby continuing to prohibit rent control on housing that was first occupied after February 1, 1995, and housing units with distinct titles, such as single-family homes.

App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative

Support: A “yes” vote supports this ballot initiative to define app-based transportation (rideshare) and delivery drivers as independent contractors and adopt labor and wage policies specific to app-based drivers and companies.

Consumer Personal Information Law and Agency Initiative

Oppose: A “no” vote opposes this ballot initiative to expand the state’s consumer data privacy laws or create the Privacy Protection Agency to enforce the state’s consumer data privacy laws.

Replace Cash Bail with Risk Assessments Referendum

Oppose: A “no” vote is to repeal the contested legislation, Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), thus keeping in place the use of cash bail for detained suspects awaiting trials

Please click here to the letter to the Governor on why we urge him to Veto the bill.

Please click here to the letter to the Governor on why we urge him to Veto the bill.

The California Chamber of Commerce and the organizations listed(Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce is listed) respectfully OPPOSE your AB 2843, as introduced, because it would add significant costs to businesses that are already struggling to maintain their operations during this pandemic.

To read the full opposition letter from the California Chamber of Commerce click here.

For more than 40 years, Prop 13 has provided property tax certainty to homeowners, renters and businesses. Under Prop 13, general property taxes for both residential and business properties are calculated based on 1% of the purchase price. Annual increases in property valuations are capped at 2% per year, which helps provide certainty to homeowners and businesses that they will be able to afford their property in the future.

Prop 13 also benefits renters, small businesses and all Californians by preventing skyrocketing increases in property taxes that get passed along to tenants and consumers in the form of higher rent and higher costs for goods and services.

Fight For Prop 13 website

Protect access to affordable and convenient rideshare and delivery services. By promoting worker flexibility and economic security, this ballot measure will protect the availability of rideshare and food and package delivery services that millions of Californians rely on every day. This includes transportation services that reduce impaired and drunk driving, improve mobility for seniors and the disabled, and provide new transportation options for families who cannot afford a vehicle.

This measure would also help protect the availability of delivery services that provide Californians affordable and convenient access to food, grocery and package delivery services, while providing small businesses like restaurants, grocers and retailers new customers.

Protect App-Based Drivers & Services Act website

The Chamber’s Government Relations Council, under Emergency Action for the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce, respectfully OPPOSE AB 1404 (Santiago).

This bill raises significant privacy concerns in that it would force Kaiser Permanente to disclose private compensation information regarding its physicians.

Specifically, the bill requires Kaiser Permanente to annually disclose the pay for thousands of physicians, including base compensation, bonus and incentive compensation, other reportable compensation, and other nontaxable benefits within specified bands on its website.

We are concerned that the disclosure of such information would violate the right to privacy of such individuals and violate the federal Right to Financial Privacy Act (12 U.S.C. §§ 3401-3423) and the California Right to Financial Privacy Act (Govt. Code §7470, et seq.). Disclosure of confidential compensation information may also raise concerns under state and federal antitrust laws.

More generally, we do not think it is appropriate to propose state legislation targeted at one particular organization, especially when the motivation appears to be to gain leverage as part of current negotiations over a collective bargaining agreement. Legislation that targets a particular organization or group of individuals without a reasonable purpose is discriminatory and likely violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the federal and state constitutions. While the bill purports to apply to any “nonprofit sponsor,” the materials prepared by the sponsor leave no doubt that this legislation is targeted at one particular organization. We believe it is inappropriate for the legislative process to be utilized in this fashion.

Similarly, we believe that legislation targeted at one organization threatens to put that organization at a competitive disadvantage, especially if it forces one entity to disclose information that could be utilized by market competitors both inside and outside of California.

That could directly harm access to health care for all Californians.

For these reasons, we respectfully OPPOSE AB 1404.

The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Government Relations Council, provided a letter to strongly support the inclusion of $1.9 billion for the Altamont Corridor Vison Phase 1 Improvements Program as part of FASTER Bay Area. It is our understanding the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Bay Area Council, and SPUR are working in partnership to have FASTER Bay Area on the November 2020 ballot for Bay Area voters.

The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Government Relations Council, provided a letter of support for a “Call to Action” for common sense reforms that make clear public drinking water suppliers are not responsible for the damage from fires they and their facilities do not start.

Many businesses and residents in Stockton and San Joaquin County receive water utility service from California Water Service (Cal Water), one of California’s largest public drinking water suppliers and the largest regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. In light of the growing threat posed by wildfires in California, we are very concerned about the consequences that could befall our communities if the state’s drinking water suppliers continue to be potentially held liable for fires they have no role in starting. Ironically, holding drinking water suppliers financially responsible for these wildfires could, inadvertently, increase the risks our communities face from more traditional urban fires.

Issues $8.877 billion in bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects.

There is no language in the Proposition that guarantees the money would not be diverted to the Delta tunnels. Also, Proposition 3 does not address the much needed storage of water.

Authorizes state to use revenue from millionaire’s tax for $2 billion in bonds for homelessness prevention housing

Couldn’t determine how by housing the mental health population without associated services would benefit the business community.

Issues $4 billion in bonds for housing programs and veterans’ home loans

Proposition 1 will be a stimulus for developers to build much needed housing.

Gas Tax Repeal

California hasn’t raised its gas tax in decades and the state’s transportation infrastructure is crumbling as a result. Cities and counties are already using this money to improve our streets, highways, and transit system.

Proposition 6 would eliminate funding for more than 6,500 bridge and road safety, transportation and public transit improvement projects currently underway throughout California.

Local Rent Control Initiative

Prop. 10 could hurt homeowners by authorizing a new government bureaucracy that can tell homeowners what they can and cannot do with their own private residence. It could make homes more expensive for future buyers and hurt families trying to purchase their first home

In addition, Renters could be forced out of their apartments and communities under Prop. 10, which allows wealthy corporate landlords to turn apartments into condos and short-term vacation rentals. It will increase the cost of renting and make it even harder to find affordable housing.

Ambulance Employees Paid On-Call Breaks, Training, and Mental Health Services Initiative (2018)

Proposition 11 established into law the longstanding industry practice of paying private EMT’s and paramedics to remain reachable during their work breaks in case of an emergency-just like firefighters and police officers.

If Proposition 11 fails, it could mean that if the closest ambulance to an emergency is on break when you call for help, 911 dispatchers would have NO WAY to reach the ambulance crew because California law would require all communications devices to be turned OFF.

This would seriously impact public safety in California because private EMT’s and paramedics respond to about 75% of the state’s 911 emergency medical calls.

Measure C will let SUSD continue the job of improving our public schools by reauthorizing $156.38 million of the previously approved bonds. This can be done without increasing the District’s total authorized debt and no additional cost to taxpayers. In addition Measure C will save taxpayers millions of dollars with ironclad taxpayer protections.

This bill would enact the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018, which, if approved by the voters, would authorize the issuance of bonds in an amount of $4,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program. The bill, upon voter approval, would reallocate $100,000,000 of the unissued bonds authorized for the purposes of Propositions 1, 40, and 84 to finance the purposes of a drought, water, parks, climate, coastal protection, and outdoor access for all program.

Proposition 68 combines three bond measures into one $4 Billion Bond measure.

The GRC felt by doing this, the proponents contributed to the vagueness of the measure. Although parts of the Proposition have merit, it was just too bundled to warrant a position.

This measure would create the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Reserve Fund, in which all moneys collected by the state board as part of a market-based compliance mechanism beginning January 1, 2024, and until the effective date of specified legislation would be deposited. The measure would require all moneys in the fund to be available upon appropriation for specified purposes and would require a bill making those appropriations to be passed by a 2/3 vote of the membership of each house of the Legislature. The measure would require all new moneys collected as part of a market-based compliance mechanism after the effective date of that specified legislation to be deposited in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The measure would prohibit a specified sales tax exemption from being applied until the effective date of that specified legislation.

The California Constitution provides that an initiative statute, referendum, or constitutional amendment or revision approved by a majority of votes thereon takes effect the day after the election unless the measure provides otherwise. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to compile the results of all statewide measures, and to prepare, certify, and file a statement of the vote from the compiled results no later than the 38th day after the election.

This measure would instead provide that an initiative statute, a referendum, or a constitutional amendment or revision approved by a majority of votes thereon takes effect 5 days after the Secretary of State files the statement of the vote for the election at which the measure is voted on, and the measure clarifies that an initiative statute, referendum, or constitutional amendment or revision may provide that it becomes operative after its effective date. The measure would also make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.

This Bill would create a new politicized commission to cap rates and determine the availability of health care for all Californians,

It is unclear how duties would be divided among the proposed Commission under AB 3087 with the Department of Insurance and the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC). DMHC is responsible for ensuring a stable health care system that includes things like network adequacy, benefit design, plan financial solvency and quality of service. The lack of clarity will result in bureaucratic confusion, delays and interference with employers purchasing health care.

On Thursday, January 25, the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, upon recommendation from its’ Government Relations Council, voted unanimously to oppose closing Swenson Park Golf Course. Click on the letter below to read the full opposition letter.

Click Here for a copy of the letter on Chamber Letterhead.

County Contract Authority. Click Here for the Opposition Letter

Specifically, AB 199 would eliminate the long-standing residential exemption from prevailing wage rates and thereby make private, market-rate residential development a public work project for which a prevailing wage would be paid. This measure would have dramatic negative cost implications for newly constructed and privately financed housing in California and it could not come at a worse time.

Makes fishing licenses valid for 12 months from date of purchase; currently a license is only good to December 31 no matter when you purchased it.

Increases the eligibility to fish for free to 18 years of age. It is currently 16 years.

Discounts annual fishing license for American veterans by 25%, and by 50% for veterans that have a 50% or greater service-connected disability.