GRC / Chamber Board Positions

Chamber joins Coalition to help Fix the Home and Auto Coverage Crisis

California is facing a severe insurance coverage crisis, with millions of consumers losing access to the coverage they need to protect their homes, cars and businesses. Our outdated insurance regulatory framework is not equipped to handle today’s realities, including climate-driven extreme weather and record inflation. Governor Newsom, Insurance Commissioner Lara and Legislative leaders have all expressed the need for immediate and urgent action. It’s time to act NOW on comprehensive reforms to fix the insurance crisis.

Download the Fact Sheet

Whether it’s rampant retail theft causing neighborhood store closures and higher prices for working families, or the growing epidemic of fentanyl overdoses, Californians can’t afford half-measures when it comes to addressing these pressing issues. Passed in 2014, Prop 47 achieved notable success in making California’s criminal justice system more equitable. However, it led to unintended consequences over the past decade — repeat and often organized retail theft, inner-city store closings, and difficulty convincing people to seek drug and mental health treatment — that can only be corrected by the voters at the ballot box with modest amendments to Prop 47. It’s time for meaningful reforms to our justice system, including to Prop 47, that ensure our communities are safe.

Download the Californians for Safer Communities Fact Sheet

The Greater Stockton Chamber supports PAGA reform.

Learn More about PAGA Reform

A “yes” vote supports:

• Renaming the Mental Health Service Act (2004) to the “Behavioral Health Service Act” and expanding their purpose to substance use disorders, including mental illness
• Changing how revenue from 1% tax on income above $1 million is spent under the law
• Increasing the size of oversight commission from 16 to 27 voting members
• Issuing $6.38 billion in bonds to fund housing for homeless individuals and veterans

Proposition 1 Overview

The Greater Stockton Chamber joins with the California Chamber to endorse the Circular Action Alliance’s (CAA) application to be the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO).

Please Click Here to download a PDF of the support letter.

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce has thoroughly reviewed all documentation provided to the Planning Commission on this measure, and we are opposed to the adoption of the proposed “Warehouse Ordinance” to the Stockton Municipal Code, Title 16 (Development Code). The Chamber strongly encourages the City Council to reject the proposed addition.

Please Click Here to download a PDF of the letter the Stockton Chamber submitted to the Mayor and City of Stockton Council Members.

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce is urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to please consider other options, or the “no project alternative” to the Delta Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), to extend the comment period past the March 16, 2023 deadline, and hold in person hearings for the public to comment on this project.

Please Click here to download a PDF of the letter the Stockton Chamber submitted as comment to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

If you would like to echo the Chamber’s comments and send them to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers please click the link below for instructions on how to do that.
https://stocktonchamber.org/news/2023/feb/delta-tunnel-eis/

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce joins the Californians Against Higher Taxes Coalition.

Californians Against Higher Taxes (CAHT) is a statewide coalition of more than 24,000 California taxpayers and 200 organizations and companies committed to advocating against specific new, higher and targeted taxes that will negatively impact residents and businesses. To learn more about the coalition visit: www.StopCAHigherTaxes.com

Actions from the September 29, 2022 Stockton Chamber Board Meeting.

The Stockton Chamber Board of Directors has voted to oppose the following 3 propositions on the November 8, 2022 ballot.

Oppose Proposition 27 – Legalize Sports Betting and Revenue for Homelessness Prevention Fund Initiative

Oppose Proposition 29 – Dialysis Clinic Requirements Initiative

Oppose Proposition 30 – Tax on Income Above $2 Million for Zero-Emissions Vehicles and Wildfire Prevention Initiative

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce is a proud member of the coalition who is opposing AB 1001 (C. Garcia) ENVIRONMENT: MITIGATION MEASURES FOR AIR QUALITY IMPACTS: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

Please click here to read the letter of opposition submitted by the coalition on Monday, May 16, 2022

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce’s Government Relations Council, under Emergency Action, is pleased to announce support for your bill, SB 1469 which will reestablish decoupling for California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulated water suppliers in California.

Decoupling is good for water customers and will result in lower water bills. When applied to water providers, decoupling severs the link between water provider sales and water provider revenues, cutting off the incentive for water suppliers to sell more water to increase revenues.

By severing this link, decoupling allows water suppliers to encourage maximum water conservation, good also for the environment, while having assurance they will have sufficient revenues to safely and reliability deliver water.

The CPUC tested a pilot decoupling program for its largest regulated water utilities, but unfortunately the program came to an end in August 2020. SB 1469 would bring it back.

As an advocate for small business, the GSCC strongly supports policy that helps lower small business costs. In this case, SB 1469 is a double win because not only will water bills be lowered, decoupling also benefits the environment.

The Greater Stockton Chamber joined the California Chamber of Commerce led coalition to oppose SB 1044 (DURAZO) Natural Disasters: Retaliation (as introduced February 15, 2022.

The California Chamber of Commerce and the organizations listed below respectfully OPPOSE your SB 1044. If SB 1044 were in effect right now, any employed Californian could refuse to show up to work today, regardless of the health and safety precautions taken by their employers. The breadth of the bill would cripple emergency response, ignores existing protections, and undermines Cal/OSHA’s existing health and safety procedures.

Existing Cal/OSHA Regulations and State and Federal Laws Include Substantial Safety Protections, Provide Employees the Right to a Safe Workplace, and Protect Employees from Retaliation If Those Laws Are Violated.

To read the full letter to the Members of the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committees please click here.

The Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce is a proudly joined the Safe Stores and Neighborhoods Coalition to combat Organized retail crime (ORC) and retail theft.

Californians for Safe Stores and Neighborhoods is committed to a comprehensive approach that prioritizes the four Ds to deter organized retail crime and retail theft.

DISMANTLE: The Infrastructure Behind These Crimes
DISRUPT: The Digital Black Market
DETER: Serial Theft
DIVERT: Repeat Offenders

To learn more about the coalition or to join please visit: https://casafeshopping.org/

The Greater Stockton Chamber joined the California Chamber of Commerce led coalition to oppose AB 1400 / ACA 11, two bills that establish and raise taxes to fund a single-payer health care system called “CalCare”.

To read the opposition letter click here.

The bills are AB 1400 (Kalra; D-San Jose) and ACA 11 (Kalra; D-San Jose).

AB 1400 awaits action by the entire Assembly after passing the Assembly Health Committee on January 11 and the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 20.