Governor Vetoes Last CalChamber Identified Job Killer Bill of 2017-2018 Legislative Session

AB 3080 Would Have Banned Arbitration Agreements Beneficial to Employees, Employers, Courts

The last CalChamber identified Job Killer bill of the 2017-2018 Legislative Session, AB 3080 (Gonzalez Fletcher), has been vetoed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr.

“We are grateful to the Governor for vetoing this bill and recognizing that, had it become law, AB 3080 would have been preempted by federal law.  The Governor’s veto saved California employers from significant amount of unnecessary litigation,” said Allan Zaremberg, CalChamber President and CEO.

In his veto message, the Governor indicated, “since this bill plainly violates federal law, I cannot sign this measure.”

“We are pleased the Governor recognized the significant flaws of AB 3080” said Jennifer Barrera, CalChamber’s Senior Vice President of Policy.  “Employment arbitration agreements have proven to provide a beneficial forum to resolve disputes for both employers and employees for decades, and are even routinely utilized by unions in their collective bargaining agreements.  Arbitration agreements expedite the resolution of claims in a less costly environment than sending all claims through an overburdened court system.  At the end of the day, had this bill become law, the winners would have been trial lawyers, not workers.”

“With the Governor’s veto of AB 3080 (Gonzalez Fletcher), CalChamber has now successfully stopped every piece of job killing legislation proposed this session from becoming law,” said Zaremberg.   “We know many of these job killing proposals will return next session but Legislators need to understand that California employers have reached their limit with respect to new laws and regulations that increase costs through threat of litigation and additional burdens that stop them from making future investments in our state’s economy,” he added.

Job Killer Stats
​2018: 29 job killers identified, 1 sent to Governor Brown, 1 vetoed.
2017: 27 job killers identified, 3 sent to Governor Brown, 2 signed, 1 vetoed.
2016: 24 job killers identified, 5 sent to Governor Brown, 4 signed, and 1 vetoed;
2015: 19 job killer bills identified, 3 sent to Governor Brown, 1 signed, and 2 vetoed;
2014: 27 job killer bills identified, 2 sent to Governor, signs 2;
2013: 38 job killer bills identified, 1 sent to Governor, signs 1;
2012: 32 job killer bills identified, 6 sent to Governor, signs 4, 2 vetoed;
2011: 30 job killer bills identified, 5 sent to Governor, 1 signed, 4 vetoed;
2010: 43 job killer bills identified, 12 sent to Governor, 2 signed, 10 vetoed;
2009: 33 job killer bills identified, 6 sent to Governor, 6 vetoed;
2008: 39 job killer bills identified, 10 sent to Governor, 1 signed, 9 vetoed;
2007: 30 job killer bills identified, 12 sent to Governor, 12 vetoed;
2006: 40 job killer bills identified, 11 sent to Governor, 2 signed, 9 vetoed;
2005: 45 job killer bills identified, 8 sent to Governor, 1 signed, 7 vetoed;
2004: 23 job killer bills identified, 10 sent to Governor, 10 vetoed;
2003: 53 job killer bills identified, 13 sent to Governor, 11 signed, 2 vetoed;
2002: 35 job killer bills identified, 17 sent to Governor, 12 signed, 5 vetoed
2001: 12 job killer bills identified, 5 sent to Governor, 3 signed, 2 vetoed;
2000: No job killers identified. Of 4 bad bills identified at end of session, Governor Davis signs 2 and vetoes 2.
1999: 30 job killer bills identified, 9 sent to Governor, 6 signed, 3 vetoed;
1998: 64 job killer bills identified, 11 sent to Governor, 11 vetoed.
1997: 57 job killer bills identified, 9 sent to Governor, 9 vetoed.

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