HERE’S WHAT BIZFED BOARD DECIDED IN MAY
Many thanks to our May Board Meeting host SoCal Gas!
Here’s what we covered at the meeting:

Speed Up CEQA Review to Help Housing Crisis

BizFed supports AB 1804 (Berman), a bill that would reduce the time for CEQA review for infill housing projects and extend the existing exemption boundary of infill urban housing to the unincorporated county. This will increase the housing supply the state desperately needs and aid BizFed’s mission to lift one million people out of poverty in the next decade.   CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

State Agency Shouldn’t Play Politics With LA’s Energy Options

BizFed supports AB 1879 (Santiago) which would make it more difficult for the CPUC to impose a moratorium on new natural gas connections. In December of 2017, the CPUC drafted a resolution to impose a gas moratorium on all new gas connections between the months of January and March – siting energy reliability issues. This bill provides that if the CPUC wants to impose a moratorium they must file a report with the state legislature’s energy and utilities committees and all affected gas corporations instead of an outright ban.  One of our biggest concerns with the moratorium was the precedent it would set allowing the CPUC to regulate in what would traditionally be a local jurisdiction. This bill will help hold the CPUC accountable from attempting additional unfair regulations. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

BRITE Ideas for Dealing with Wildfires

BizFed has joined the Building Resilient Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s Economy (BRITE) Coalition. Wildfires are an increasing threat to life and the economy in California, so our state must focus on prevention and mitigation. BizFed has joined the BRITE Coalition to advocate for a safe, clean energy grid.  Support the BRITE Coalition by joining online at www.BRITECA.com/join.

The New Normal: CA Wildfires & the Role of Utilities

BizFed supports SB 901 (Dodd). This bill would require a wildfire mitigation plan prepared by an electrical corporation, to deenergize its electrical lines and deactivate its reclosers, if there are fire threat conditions. This rapid response will help mitigate the damage caused by catastrophic events. It would also allow utility companies to weigh factors, such as wind speed or red flag conditions, historical fire data, and local conditions to determine when and where to de-energize electrical lines. This bill strengthens utility companies’ current effort to develop a general framework for emergency response, while also allowing them to rapidly react to changes on-the-ground, such as those faced during a wildfire event. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Develop a Market for Captured Methane 

BizFed supports SB 1440 (Hueso) because it would require gas corporations to establish goals to procure their share of the statewide biomethane before July 2019. Methane contributes to about 9% of CA’s greenhouse gas emissions with a majority of these emissions coming from renewable resources such as landfilled organic waste, livestock manure, and wastewater.  By creating a procurement program for Renewable Natural Gas, we can support California’s organic waste diversion and methane reduction goals by developing a market for the products of the diverted organic waste and captured methane. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Price Controls Won’t Rein In Health Care Costs 

BizFed opposes AB 3087 (Kalra) because it imposes price controls without adequate explanation as to how providers will be reimbursed. This bill will also add a significant amount of changes to the current health care system that imposes regulations and changes in several health care related industries including insurance, hospitals and smaller/independent health care facilities. The bill sets price controls on hospitals and insurers and determines the price of co-pays and deductibles. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Expand Opportunities for Small, Veteran Owned, and Social Enterprises!

AB 2762 (Carrillo & Muratsuchi) helps increase public contracting with small businesses, disabled veteran businesses, and social enterprises that provide transitional or permanent employment to a transitional workforce. BizFed is actively supportive of procurement opportunities that the county can offer, along with supporting opportunities to support veterans and social enterprises that work to improve the lives of all of us who live in our region. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Legalize Street Vending in the City of LA

LA City Council staff are currently preparing a street vending ordinance to allow street venters to operate in the city. Currently, LA is the only major city in the US that outlaw’s sidewalk vending. BizFed wrote a letter recommending that the ordinance limit vending to two vendors per block, establish aesthetic consistency, allow stationery rather than mobile vending, allows areas to opt out based on health and public safety concerns, establish regular hours, facilitate sales tax compliance, have vendors pay for waste disposal, and require a public health license. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Recruiting Professionals to Become STEM Teachers

AB2 2609 (O’Donnell) addresses CA’s STEM teacher shortage by establishing a competitive grant program that will allocate $3 million for the purposes of recruiting, training, placing, and retaining professionals from STEM fields as K-12 teachers. AB 2609 will train our students for middle class jobs. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Worker Training Needed to Maintain LA’s Aerospace Superiority

The aerospace industry provides hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs in California and thousands in Los Angeles County, yet there is a shortage of trained workers to step in to open roles here. BizFed supports SB 1356 (Wilk) which will appropriate $500,000 to Antelope Valley College to help establish an Aerospace Institute. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

More funds for college aerospace

As California continues to grow at record rates, we must prepare to meet the housing demands of our expanding population. That’s why BizFed supported SB 827 which would have supported the development of housing near high quality transit lines, where our community members can take better advantage of transportation and land. Unfortunately, shortly after our Board voted to support this bill, it was killed in the Senate. We have reached out to the author and Senate Leadership to inform them of our support of their concept and desire to work with them to find other solutions to our California’s housing crisis.

Support Accessory Dwelling Units in LA County

As California continues to grow at record rates, we must prepare to meet the housing demands of our expanding population. That’s why BizFed supported SB 827 which would have supported the development of housing near high quality transit lines, where our community members can take better advantage of transportation and land. Unfortunately, shortly after our Board voted to support this bill, it was killed in the Senate. We have reached out to the author and Senate Leadership to inform them of our support of their concept and desire to work with them to find other solutions to our California’s housing crisis. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Revitalize Westfield’s Promenade in Warner Center

As an aging mall property, the Westfield Promenade is seeking to be transformed into a mixed-use lifestyle center with residences, creative and traditional office space, hotels, open space and an entertainment venue. A project like this will bring tremendous economic benefits to the community and region.  BizFed supports this substantial investment in the San Fernando Valley.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Inland Ports are Vital to SoCal Goods Movement

International trade and foreign investments support 4.4 million jobs in California and is a key component of the states $2.4 trillion economy; therefore, BizFed supports AB 1561 (Quirk-Silva). This bill addresses the infrastructure issues that plague our transportation system in a conservative and fiscally sound way to support California’s economic needs.  It also supports future funding grants through other sources. AB 1561 will strengthen our competitiveness against states like Utah, Georgia and Texas who are developing these inland ports as we see the expansion of delivered goods through online retailing. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Analysis on Truck Drivers

There are roughly 16,000 registered drivers in the Long Beach Port Truck Driver Registry, many of whom are independent contractors.  In February of 2018, Long Beach City Council voted to hold informational hearings to consider Independent Owner Operators.  BizFed wants to ensure that the hearing process is fair and helps to shed light on issues of interest, specifically driver classification, and proposes workable solutions. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Commuter Benefits Reduce Traffic, Make Employees Happier

BizFed supports AB 2548 (Friedman) which would authorize a countywide commuter benefits program in Los Angeles County. A Commuter Benefits Ordinance would provide Metro the authority to work with employers and create a significant opportunity to reduce single passenger commutes, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions countywide. BizFed would like to see language amended to include 1099 employees and smaller businesses under 50 employees which would establish a tax benefit policy that saves businesses money for transit riding employees.

Expand Metrolink Service Area

BizFed joins the Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion (SCORE) in a vision for mobility in Southern California via Metrolink and support grant requests to fund the program. This program will upgrade the regional rail system to meet the current and future needs of the traveling public. This multi-year program will pursue funding from several grant programs this year. If funding is received, the projects could be complete as soon as 2028.

All Aboard to West Hollywood!

With the passage of Measure M in 2016, many cities were in support but are faced with out of sight timelines. The City of West Hollywood had one of the highest percentage of voters supporting the measure, however according to the current Measure M expenditure timeline, the construction of the line will start in 2041 and completed by 2048. BizFed has joined the “All on Board Coalition” to accelerate the Northern Crenshaw/LAX extension. The “All on Board Coalition” sees an opportunity to accelerate this key project through Mayor Garcetti’s 28 by 28 plan which would complete 28 transportation projects by the 2028 Olympic games.

When Should Government Own Internet Networks?

BizFed supports private-sector engagement, investment and partnership as cities seek to expand broadband connectivity and bridge the digital divide, while recognizing that the situation of each city is unique. BizFed approved Core Principles to guide cities that are exploring building their own  Broadband Networks.  Developed with municipal and private sector stakeholders, BizFed principles encourage cities to prioritize transparency, explore all options, only filling service gaps, safeguard public finances, ensure  Broadband Network System Reliability, and allow for fair competition. Click Here for Principles Sheet

Without Banking Option, CA Cannabis Industry Could Go to Pot

BizFed supports SB 930 (Hertzberg) which creates the Cannabis Limited Charter Banking Law, establishing the framework for limited charter banks and credit unions as state licensed banking institutions for cannabis related businesses. Financial institutions like these are needed, as proceeds from cannabis related businesses are not able to make deposits in federally insured banking institutions due to cannabis being classified as a Schedule I drug by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. This bill creates the legal financial environment for cannabis related industries to succeed and operate like any other business. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

California Consumer Privacy Initiative

This initiative is an effort to reinstate the consumer privacy protections afforded by rules finalized by the Federal Communications Commission in October 2016, but recently eliminated by the Trump Administration and Congress. BizFed opposes this Initiative  and this initiative will not hit the floor because it has not made legislature floors due to signatures.

No Bureaucratic Database of Borrower’s Personal Info!

SB 3010 (Limón) makes significant changes to the California Deferred Deposit Transaction Law, limiting borrowers of short term loans to one deferred deposit transaction at a time and authorizes the Department of Business Oversight to track and enforce new provisions through a database. Many other financial institutions do not have these restrictions imposed upon them.  BizFed OPPOSES SB 3010 because these attempts to drive the short-term loan industry out of existence are misguided and hurt consumers. Limiting the choices of financial institutions available to different consumers that best suits their needs, is not in the best interests of the consumer. CLICK HERE TO VIEW LETTER

Tracy Hernandez