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California legislators prepare for next round of policymaking as summer recess concludes

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RECORD

Sunday, November 24, 2024

California legislators prepare for next round of policymaking as summer recess concludes

Legislation
Califsenatechamber

California State Senate Chamber | Image by Bishnu Sarangi from Pixabay

With state lawmakers scheduled to resume session this week, concerns persist about regulatory action on California businesses as legislators seek to balance public health concerns with nascent economic recovery.

When further legislation could be passed is open to question, but in an email response to the Northern California Record, the CalChamber policy team noted that a number could be voted on in the coming days.

AB 616, which is now out of the Senate Appropriations Committee, could be brought up this coming week. A business coalition letter to Senate members last month notes former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar measure (SB 104) in 2011 because it drastically altered provisions of the state Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA).

“The current provisions of the Agricultural Labor Relations Act (“ALRA”) adequately protect the rights and interests of employees and employers, as well as unions. Modeled on the National Labor Relations Act, the ALRA affords agricultural employees the opportunity to select—or to refrain from selecting—a particular union as their collective bargaining representative through a formal and secure secret ballot election,” the letter states.

“But unlike the current process, which guarantees that employees ultimately express their true sentiments about unionization in the tightly controlled setting of a supervised secret ballot election, this new procedure [under AB 616] provides no safeguards to ensure the representation cards really indicate the employees’ free, uncoerced and current choice.”

Another bill, AB 1074, would have the biggest effect in the short term because it will make it difficult for one of the hardest-hit industries, the hotel industry, to function, the policy team said.

It is expected to be heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee early this week and could be brought to the Floor as early as Thursday.

An Aug. 12 opposition letter from the California Hotel and Lodging Association and other business and hospitality groups urges lawmakers to vote against AB 1074.

“Because it is unnecessarily vague in application, is an unprecedented expansion of current law, and does not recognize the operational needs of small businesses,” the letter states. "This bill unnecessarily jeopardizes an industry that is only now beginning to recover from 17 months of pandemic closures and, according to optimistic forecasts, will take until 2024 to recover.”

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