With the recent conclusion of the California Legislative session, questions persist about how new mandates should impact small businesses facing increased pressure from inflation and supply chain disruptions.
What small businesses saw was a mixed bag, with some helpful laws passed, but others, like AB 247, failed to get a committee hearing, John Kabateck, California state director with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), told the Northern California Record.
“There were positive outcomes; we saw some steps in the direction of great progress and support for Main Street employers, but there is still much more that needs to be done,” Kabateck said. “That includes true, more deliberate safe harbor legal protections for small businesses, which we will continue to advocate and push for. For two years in a row, we have built a good bipartisan support only to find our progressive legislature deny even such modest reforms that would help protect vulnerable small businesses.”
Some key legislation that was amended included COVID-19 reporting measures and AB 1033, which incorporates mediation into portions of the California Family Rights Act (CFRA).
Kabateck noted that in view of the governor’s recall victory and 2022 being an election year, it remains to be seen how those factors will impact what happens when lawmakers resume session in January.
“We will be curious to see to what extent that plays into what will be on the agenda next year,” Kabateck said.
Negotiations will be ongoing before the Legislature reconvenes on Jan. 3.
“We appreciate the fact that a number of grants and financial support have been administered through the state and governor's office,” Kabateck said. “We know the Democrats and Republicans alike believe that small business recovery is paramount to California recovery, so with the multibillion-dollar surplus, why are we not getting that money out to Main Street, fixing the minimum franchise tax, and paying down our unemployment insurance debt?
“It’s obvious that we need more business-minded policymakers in Sacramento, and next year voters will have an opportunity to make those changes, to get California back on track and people working.”
Kabateck also said there have been promising 2022 ballot measures proposed to address legal system reforms.
“Californians deserve a responsible legal system,” Kabateck said. “We never stand up and declare support for employers knowingly breaking the law and harming their employees or communities, but we have a legal system that is upside down, that casts job creators as guilty until proven innocent. We need a system that treats them as fairly as the workers in the workplace.”