By William Saracino
[Published in the April newsletter of the Southern California Rebublican Women and Men]
The clown-car known as the California Legislature is picking up steam as Spring advances – with Democrats never losing their zeal to push California ever further down the lists of desirable states in which to live. We are currently at or near the top in tax and and regulation burden on citizens and business, and near the bottom for student performance and business climate. Our Democrats are trying very hard to make things even worse.
SB 935 – Leno – D – San Francisco. Raises the minimum wage $13 an hour – thereby insuring that the first rung of the job ladder is even more inaccessible to young people entering the work force.
AB 1897 (Hernández; D-West Covina). Unfairly imposes liability on a general contractor entity for the a sub- contractor’s wage and hour violations, lack of worker’s compensation coverage, and/or failure to remit employee contributions. Penalties can be applied to the general contractor without any evidence that the contracting entity controlled the working conditions or wages of the sub-contractor’s employees.
AB 2416 (Stone; D-Scotts Valley). Creates a dangerous and unfair precedent in the wage and hour arena by allowing employees to file liens on an employer’s real or personal property, or property where work was performed, based upon allegations only, without having to wait for proof that violations exist.
SB 1188 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara). Significantly increases product defect litigation and associated claims by allowing consumers to pursue claims after the warranty has expired for “material” omissions regarding the product that are unrelated to any health and safety concerns.
SB 404 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara).Makes it virtually impossible for employers to manage their employees and exposes them to a higher risk of litigation by expanding the Fair Employment and Housing Act to include a protected classification for any person who is, perceived to be, or associated with an individual who provides medical or supervisory care to a listed family member.
ACA 3 (Campos; D-San Jose) Lowers Vote Requirement for Tax Increases — Adds complexity and uncertainty to the current tax structure and pressure to increase taxes on commercial, industrial and residential property owners by giving local governments new authority to enact special taxes, including parcel taxes, by lowering the vote threshold from two-thirds to fifty-five percent.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg – is it any wonder business’s are leaving California in droves? YOU have the power to help stop this nonsense – become an active member of the Southern California Republican Women and Men and help elect more republicans this November!