Serving Long Beach Businesses Since February 3, 2003

California Chamber of Commerce's 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006

Advocate Partner of the Year

 

 

Home > Track the Issues > Job Killers

 

February 4, 2008

Long Beach Chamber Continues to Hold Elected Officials Accountable to the Business Community


The 2007 Vote Record: The 41 Potential Laws Tracked by the Long Beach Chamber and How Senator Alan Lowenthal and Assembly Member Betty Karnette Voted.

 

The Long Beach Chamber’s Government Affairs Council (GAC) unanimously voted in early 2007 to track 41 potential laws (bills) that might impact Long Beach businesses. Each month, the GAC members reviewed and discussed the merits of all 41 bills.

The Long Beach Chamber’s official positions on each of the 41 bills have been available online at www.longbeachadvocacy.biz including summaries and explanations of why the Long Beach Chamber opposed and supported each of the 41 bills. The Long Beach Chamber lobbied tirelessly during the 2007 legislative session for our legislators to OPPOSE 30 bills and SUPPORT 11 bills.

“The Long Beach Chamber continues to hold our local legislators accountable to the business community by tracking their votes on important bills that impact the ability for business to create more jobs,” said Randy Gordon, President and CEO of the Long Beach Chamber. Long Beach’s local legislators, State Senator Alan Lowenthal and Assembly Member Betty Karnette received letters on all 41 bills tracked by the Long Beach Chamber.

“The Chamber is ultimately responsible for tracking the issues that affect our membership and we take great pride in informing the business community about how our local legislators vote in Sacramento on these issues,” stated Matt Kinley, Chair of the Long Beach Chamber Board of Directors. “As always we will continue to advocate next year to our legislators to cease voting for anti-business and anti-jobs legislation,” continued Kinley.

 

The Long Beach Chamber leadership is committed to continue to meet with our legislators to develop the most economically and socially responsible legislation for our residents and business owners. This is even more critical with the local and economic challenges for the current year.

 

To reach the “percentage FOR pro-jobs legislation,” the Chamber tallied the number of times our legislators voted for the Chamber’s position and divided that total by the total number of potential new laws in which each legislator voted. A potential new law is not figured into the vote record percentage if a legislator, for whatever reason, did not vote or if the potential new laws died before the legislator had an opportunity to vote.

Log on to www.LongBeachAdvocacy.biz for more on the 2007 Vote Record.

 

Summary of Votes

 

 

FOR pro-jobs legislation

AGAINST jobs legislation

Percentage FOR pro-jobs legislation

Senator Alan Lowenthal

5

23

18%

Assemblymember Betty Karnette

5

19

21%


2007 Vote Record – In Depth

 

 “N/A” = potential new law died before elected official had an opportunity to vote or in the case of the Governor the potential new law did not reach his desk.

 

AB 8 Nunez (D)

Health Care

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

AB 338 Coto (D)

Workers' Compensation: Temporary Disability Payments

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Signed

 

AB 437 Jones (D)

Employment Discrimination

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 493 Ruskin (D)

Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Incentives

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 504 Swanson (D)

Lockouts

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

AB 510 Benoit (R)

Employment: Working Hours

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

 

AB 512 Lieber (D)

Contracts: Translation

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 613 Tran (R)

Workplace Postings

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

AB 644 Dymally (D)

Workers' Compensation: Medical Treatment Utilization

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

AB 655 Swanson (D)

Public Contracts: Bond Acts

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

AB 689 DeVore (R)

Income and Corporation Taxes: Employment Verification

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

 

AB 889 Lieu (D)

Metro Green Line Construction Authority

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 904 Feuer (D)

Recycling: Food Containers

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1065 Lieber (D)

Public Resources: Building Standards

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1073 Nava (D)

Workers' Compensation

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Signed

 

AB 1104 Aghazarian (R)

Small Business Expansion Fund

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Signed

 

AB 1107 Arambula (D)

Goods Movement: Small Business and Microenterprise

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1201 Leno (D)

Collective Bargaining: Direct Care Registered Nurses

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1285 Parra (D)

Taxation: Credits: Research and Development

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support                                                  

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1400 Hayashi (D)

Child Care Resource and Referral Programs: Funding

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1554 Jones (D)

Health Care Coverage: Rate Approval

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1634 Levine (D)

Healthy Pets Act

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

AB 1636 Mendoza (D)

Workers' Compensation: Supplemental Job Benefits

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support                                          

Governor: Vetoed

 

SB 24 Torlakson (D)

Tobacco Product Environmental Smoke: Fee

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 140 Kehoe (D)

Fuels: Renewable Diesel Fuel

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

SB 180 Migden (D)

Labor Representatives: Elections

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

SB 201 Florez (D)

Leafy Green Vegetable Crop Safety

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 210 Kehoe (D)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Fuel Standard

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

SB 375 Steinberg (D)

Transportation Planning: Travel Models: Reviews

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

SB 423 Harman (R)

Exemplary Damages

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: n/a

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 466 Steinberg (D)

Forest Resources

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 494 Kehoe (D)

Vehicular Air Pollution Control: Clean Alternative

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 549 Corbett (D)

Employees Right to Bereavement Leave

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

SB 622 Padilla (D)

Employment: Misclassification of Employees

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

SB 747 Corbett (D)

Disabled Person: Equal Access Rights

 

Long Beach Position: Support

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 831Lowenthal (D)

Billing: Mobile Telephony Service

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 840 Kuehl (D)

Single-Payer Health Care Coverage

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 899 Simitian (D)

Toxic Packaging Materials

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: n/a

Governor: n/a

 

SB 936 Perata (D)

Workers' Compensation: Permanent Disability

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

SB 942 Migden (D)

Workers Compensation: Disability

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: Vetoed

 

SB 974 Lowenthal (D)

Ports: Congestion Relief: Air Pollution Mitigation

 

Long Beach Position: Oppose

State Senator Alan Lowenthal: Support

Assembly Member Betty Karnette: Support

Governor: n/a

 

June 14, 2007

Senator Oropeza Leads State Senate Fight Against AB 1634

 

Chamber & Civic Leaders Praise Oropeza Commitment to LB Workers, Jobs

 

Assailing bill as “penny-wise, pound foolish,” LB Leaders disgusted by Richardson, Karnette support of job-killer

In a rare joint-statement, labor leaders, civic leaders and the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce issued the following joint-statement today regarding AB 1634. Jenny Oropeza had this to say about AB 1634:

“I oppose AB 1634. It is too severe a solution to a noble objective. Further, I am concerned about the economic consequences for the city of Long Beach’s convention business. It will hurt public safety and other vital city services.”

Long Beach Community Leaders had this to say about AB 1634:

“The Long Beach business community is relieved to hear that Senator Jenny Oropeza (D-LB) has come to the rescue of Long Beach workers,” said Long Beach Chamber President & CEO Randy Gordon. Mr. Gordon continued: “The Senator’s efforts couldn’t have come at a better time. In perhaps one of the most blatant displays of party-loyalty at the expense of Long Beach citizens I have ever seen, Assemblymembers Laura Richardson and Betty Karnette provided the last two votes needed to pass this job-killing legislation out of the Assembly. At a price-tag of $65 million to small business, in my 25 years in the Chamber industry, I have never seen a bill that would be so damaging to a local economy pass with the blessing of our local legislators,” Mr. Gordon concluded.

“We are pleased that Senator Oropeza has decided to support Long Beach tourism,” said Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau President & CEO Steve Goodling. Mr. Goodling continued: “By putting her opposition to AB 1634 in ink, Senator Oropeza is sending a strong message to the membership of the American Kennel Club (AKC)—Long Beach is open for business, and we value the AKC’s contribution to our city.”

To that, Long Beach Hyatt Regency General Manager Steve Smith added: “What this action shows is that the Senator cares about the impact that this bill will have at the local level…this action is going to help keep the AKC convention in Long Beach. Losing this convention would have a negative impact on workers during the holiday season…it would cut into hospitality revenues during the most vulnerable [slowest] time of the year.”

Underscoring the wide-coalition of Long Beach community leaders that are opposed to the bill is the addition of Long Beach Police Officers Association President Steve James to the chorus of opposition to AB 1634. Mr. James added: ... “Our opposition to this bill is about fundamentals… The passage of AB 1634 directly affects every segment of the Long Beach economy: at the most basic level, it represents loss of jobs for hotel workers, small business owners, restaurants, the tourism industry, as well as a loss in valuable city-revenue that goes to fund vital city services like hiring police and fire personnel, fixing potholes and side-walks… Senator Oropeza understands that.”

“While we appreciate the multitude of opinions on the benefits of the bill, the cost to the city of Long Beach is without question,” said Long Beach Chamber Board of Directors Chairman-elect Matt Kinley, referring to the view of expert veterinarians who maintain that the bill has no benefit, or unintended consequences. Mr. Kinley continued: “Senator Oropeza’s actions will benefit the entire city of Long Beach by protecting tax revenue that will save quality jobs. Were the votes of Richardson and Karnette to prevail, it would mean a loss in over $65 million to Long Beach businesses—these are real consequences.”

Long Beach Chamber Board of Directors Chairman of the Board Byron Schweigert summed it up: “Given the facts, we believe that support of this bill is penny-wise and pound foolish. Moving forward, we look to working with Senator Oropeza, the AKC, veterinarians, and the small business-owners of this city to defeat this bill in the Senate. Defeating this legislation will be a great victory for the economy and general well being of the Long Beach area.”
 

About AB 1634
 

Assembly Bill 1634, authored by Los Angeles Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, will allow only select purebred dogs and cats to breed. Pet owners who don’t sterilize their mixed breed pets by four months of age will face a $500 fine and possible criminal penalties. The American Kennel Club (AKC), which hosts their annual convention in Long Beach each year, has vowed to boycott any state in the union that has such a measure. Accordingly, Long Beach Chamber leaders are disappointed; not for the same reasons as nervous California cats and dogs, but because of the Long Beach jobs that this bill will cost.

 

June 8, 2007

Business Community Left Dumbfounded by Long Beach Legislator's Support of Job-Killing Bill

 

Bill that would cost LB millions heads to Senate, community leaders call on Senators Lowenthal and Oropeza to take action

 

Upon passage of the most damaging bill to Long Beach this session, Long Beach community leaders are left astounded and profoundly disappointed today after LB Legislators vote along party lines to outlaw the existence of mixed-breed dogs and cats in the Golden State.
 
Assembly Bill 1634, authored by Los Angeles Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, will allow only select purebred dogs and cats to breed. Pet owners who don’t sterilize their mixed breed pets by four months of age will face a $500 fine and possible criminal penalties. The American Kennel Club (AKC), which hosts their annual convention in Long Beach each year, has vowed to boycott any state in the union that has such a measure. Accordingly, Long Beach Chamber leaders are disappointed; not for the same reasons as nervous California cats and dogs, but because of the Long Beach jobs that this bill will cost.

“The economic impact on small business-owners in Long Beach resulting from the passage of AB 1634 cannot be ignored,” said Board of Directors Chairman-elect Matt Kinley, referring to the Long Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau estimates that the economic impact generated by the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship represents $21.7 million per year to Long Beach. The show is currently scheduled to return to Long Beach in December of 2007 and in 2008, but passage of AB 1634 would make that virtually impossible, after the AKC boycotted other states after enacting similar legislation.  

“The loss in revenue over the course of the contract represents over $60 million in tourism revenue to the city” Mr. Kinley added. Providing the last crucial votes to pass the job-killing legislation were Long Beach area lawmakers Assemblymembers Betty Karnette (D., LB) and Laura Richardson (D., Carson-LB).

“As the largest voice of business in Long Beach, the Chamber takes seriously our responsibility to recruit, maintain, and stimulate job-creation,” said Chamber President & CEO Randy Gordon. “Clearly, our Assemblymembers don’t take their responsibility to the people of Long Beach equally as serious,” Mr. Gordon continued. “We’re very disappointed that Long Beach’s own legislators in the Assembly abdicated their responsibility to look out for the well-being of the people of Long Beach,” added Chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors Byron Schweigert. The measure, which now heads to the State Senate, would ultimately result in a loss of millions of dollars to Long Beach. “The business community’s only hope now is that Senators Oropeza and Lowenthal will do what’s best for the citizens of Long Beach and join us in opposing this bill. We still hold faith that the Senators will vote in favor of the people that elected them, rather than abandoning the citizens of Long Beach and doing what’s best for their party, as our Assembly delegation did,” Mr. Schweigert concluded.

 

June 14, 2007

Long Beach Chamber Releases Annual List of Job-Killers

 

Chamber Government Affairs Council takes positions on bills under consideration in the Legislature that would cost LB millions, Chamber calls on Long Beach delegation to take action

 

Upon recommendation of the Government Affairs Council, the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce today issued its annual list of bills under consideration in the state legislature that have reached “job killer” designation from the Chamber, highlighting the negative impact these bills would have on the city of Long Beach and California’s global competitiveness.

 

“Passage of these bills into law would be a devastating blow to the Long Beach economy, the Los Angeles Region and beyond.  The Chamber opposes these bills because we take our role of protecting and creating Long Beach jobs seriously. We now call on the members of the Long Beach delegation in the California State Assembly and Senate to do the same, and vote for jobs.  The Chamber urges our local legislators to vote for jobs by thinking about the impact of their actions on their constituents and the Long Beach economy before they cast a vote on these bills.”

 

Among the bills on this year’s list is AB 1634 (Levine),  passed out of the Assembly pertaining to the spaying and neutering of pets, which if signed into law would result in the loss of over $60 million to the Long Beach economy over three years.  Other measures include new health care taxes, roll-backs of workers compensation reform, limits on affordable housing and development, restrictions on the use of voter-approved transportation funding, and a tax on freight movement.

 

“These bills are just plan-bad for job-creation,” remarked Board of Directors Chairman-elect Matt Kinley. “For example, the economic impact on small business-owners in Long Beach resulting from the passage of AB 1634 cannot be ignored,” Mr. Kinley continued, referring to the Long Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau estimates that the economic impact generated by the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship represents $21.7 million per year to Long Beach. The show is currently scheduled to return to Long Beach in December of 2007 and in 2008, but passage of AB 1634 would make that virtually impossible, after the AKC boycotted other states after enacting similar legislation.  “The loss in revenue over the course of the contract represents over $60 million in tourism revenue to the city” Mr. Kinley added. 

 

Government Affairs Council Chair Lori Lofstrom added: “Under Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership, the Long Beach region and the state as a whole has seen job-creation grow to add nearly one million new jobs to the State workforce — and billions of dollars in additional tax revenues. It is our hope that the Long Beach legislative delegation and Governor Schwarzenegger will continue this statewide trend by opposing and vetoing this legislation that will decimate this positive economic activity and job growth in California.” 

                                                  

The Government Affairs Council of the Long Beach Chamber annually releases a list of “job killer” bills to identify legislation that will hurt small business owners. Moving forward, the Chamber will track these bills throughout the rest of the legislative session and work to educate legislators about the serious consequences these bills will have on the state. 

 

Email us for more information.

Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce | One World Trade Center, Suite 206 | Long Beach, California 90831 | (562) 983-1241 | Contact