Chamber Publishes Its 2021 Issues Policy

Last month, the Chamber's Business Advocacy Committee finalized its 2021 legislative issues policy, which was subsequently adopted by the Chamber's Board of Directors. This policy is intended to be a guide for the Chamber's positions on various legislative and policy matters. It is not intended to cover all issues that the Chamber may address.

Jobs:
Support a commitment to pursuing policies that create and retain a balance of job opportunities for a variety of businesses and employees, including encouraging high-paying jobs that strengthen the local economy.

Economic Development:
Support local, state and federal proposals to provide jobs via infrastructure projects and encourage government to utilize local contractors and suppliers. Support the city of Oxnard's efforts to assure fiscal responsibility, and to fill any financing gap resulting from the elimination of state and federal funding. 

Support federal legislation to decriminalize cannabis or reclassify it as a lower than "Schedule I" drug to allow the industry to establish normal banking relationships.

Employment:

• Labor Standards – Support improving California's competitiveness with other states' labor standards, particularly as they apply to wages, meal and rest periods, and overtime rules.
• Employer Incentives – Support proposals to protect employers from higher costs, to provide meaningful incentives for employers to create new jobs, and to strengthen the local workforce pool.
• Benefits and Health Care – Support policies that provide the broadest possible coverage without placing a disproportionate and undue burden on employers; oppose additional state and federal-imposed mandates that penalize employers and other measures that impact business.
• Flexible Work Week – Support wage and hour rules and related labor code sections that base overtime on a 40-hour work week rather than on eight hours per day. Oppose overly burdensome scheduling provisions.
• Workforce Education – Support a results-oriented approach to public education, workforce training, and development to support our current and future job sectors.
• Minimum Wage – Oppose linking increases in the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index or any other measurement to incorporate automatic escalation.
• Living Wage – Oppose government mandated “living wage” programs that exceed the minimum wage standard.
• Workers’ Compensation – Support legislation to restore reforms of the workers’ compensation system and policies to reduce fraud and abuse; support limits on the ability of workers to receive benefits for non-work-related injuries and other conditions.

Health and Public Safety:
Support federal, state and local programs that provide services, clean shelter and transitional housing for the homeless population. Support funding and programs to enhance disaster planning and responses. 

Housing:
Support strategies that include promoting a full range of housing in all communities; support federal and state incentives for providing workforce housing; and reform the regulatory framework to eliminate unnecessary barriers to providing housing. Support efforts to assure neighboring communities provide adequate housing for their workforces. Support housing strategies and projects that maintain a healthy jobs/housing balance.

Governance:
Support significant reforms to California's political process as well as the state's revenue structure; support state and local governments' efforts to achieve or maintain balanced budgets.

• Budget – Support efforts to reform the California budgeting process and structure to encourage long-term fiscal responsibility and limits on spending growth with excess revenues put into debt reduction, reserve and/or back into local government. Track compliance of Propositions 1A and 1B of 2014 (rainy day fund).
• Ballot Initiatives – When considering positions on ballot initiatives, support those that seek to improve the region's business climate and do not further burden the state and local fiscal health through additional onuses on employers and taxpayers, as well as unfunded mandates.
• Elections – Support initiatives and candidates that seek to promote improvements to our business climate and a more balanced approach to community development efforts; promote increased business participation in the local, regional and state processes.
• Pensions – Support equitable solutions to curtail the growing unfunded liabilities of public pension plans and support a more pragmatic approach to the projection of investment returns.
• Taxation – Support efforts to update California's tax policies so that tax burdens on employers are reduced and applied equitably so as to be more competitive with other states; support protection of local revenues for specific purposes; oppose changes/additions to fees and assessments which would have and an adverse affect on business. Support aligning California research and development tax credits with the federal tax code.

Infrastructure:
Support policies that encourage continuing improvement in California and local infrastructure, which supports stronger businesses and job growth.

• Communications. Support a uniform state policy that encourages continued investment in the telecommunications industry and improves access to broadband.
• Water. Support proposals for long-term, comprehensive water plans and projects that are safe and reliable and include conservation, new supplies, quality concerns, storage, reclamation and conveyance elements. Support cost-effective improvements to local wastewater infrastructure.
• Transportation. Support long-term stable federal, state, regional, county and local funding sources that will maintain, repair and increase mobility on our highways, railways, mass transit and overall transportation system, including freight movement corridors.
• Energy. Support legislation and policies that promote an energy infrastructure that includes reliable, ample and affordable energy sources which also incorporates the needs of and costs to consumers.  Additionally, support legislation and policies that support clear communication of the costs and impacts of implemented emergency protocol. 
• Environment. Support meaningful CEQA reform to enable private and public projects to progress through the permitting process in a reasonable timeframe; support sustainable requirements for business. Support continuing efforts to remediate the Halaco Superfund site.
• Port and Harbor. Support efforts and proposals to preserve and enhance infrastructure at the Port of Hueneme and Channel Islands Harbor.

Immigration Reform:
Support reforms of federal immigration laws that assure an adequate workforce while addressing border security and the status of undocumented workers.

Local Initiatives:
Support a healthy business growth and land use environment and oppose local initiatives that would unduly constrict business attraction, development and expansion.

International Trade:
Support trade and tourism initiatives to spur commerce and to maximize our region's position in the global economy.

Public Safety:
Support enhanced public safety efforts and preserve funding for existing programs and staffing. Public safety should be a top priority for local government.