California Chamber of Commerce 'List' Targets Job-Killing Bills

The California Chamber of Commerce aims to kill 26 bills that they say would damage job creation in the state.

According to the LA Times, the annual list of job killing bills presented by the chamber consisted primarily of proposed measures involving the work place, including the raising of the minimum age, paid sick days, and taxes and legal regulatory issues. Allan Zaremberg, the chamber president, insists that creating jobs and helping California through the ongoing economic recovery is still the “No. 1 issue” for the citizens of California. Zaremberg contends, “These bills pose a serious threat to our economy and, if enacted, would dampen job growth.”

The Times reports that the 13,000 member organization’s track record for killing bills is a pretty good one in California. Last year the chamber’s campaign against a list of 38 bills was able to knockout 37 of them. However, an increase in the state’s minimum wage did pass, giving California lawmakers a dubious victory.

Nevertheless, labor unions, environmentalists, and other traditional business community adversaries aren’t in sync with the Chamber of Commerce’s design to squash the legislature’s new bills. Steve Smith, a spokesman for the California Labor Federation, asserts, “By placing measures to give workers earned sick days and combat wage theft on their hit list, the Chamber, once again, has shown how tone-deaf it is to the needs of most California families.”

Yet Mark Baldassare, president of the Public Policy Institute of California, a not-for-profit organization that analyzes social and political issues, thinks that the Chamber of Commerce’s annual list is earning respect: “It’s something that definitely has gained a following over time in the Legislature. It seems to have really captured people’s attention and imagination.”