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Monday, January 03, 2022SCO/City of Santa Maria Small Biz Webinar (January 12, 2022)
Free Small Business Webinar! Hosted by: State Controller Betty T. Yee and the City of Santa Maria Hear from federal, state, and local agencies about programs available to small businesses. January 12, 2022 10:00 - 11:30 am Register at: bit.ly/3sfa9O1
Monday, December 06, 2021New 2022 California Employment Laws White Paper Available to Download
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to be a primary focus in 2021, the California Legislature crafted and sent several hundred bills to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. As 2021 winds to a close, what better way to prepare for 2022 than by familiarizing yourself with employment law changes happening when January hits? For instance, a new law builds on 2020’s changes to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), clarifying that employees can take CFRA leave to care for parents-in-law with serious health
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Tuesday, November 30, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Issues Scorecard on Legislation
Tracking and advocating on issues before the state legislature is an important role of the Chamber of Commerce. Guided by principles recommended by the Chamber's Business/Government Roundtable, the Chamber works with our advocacy partners and coalitions to share the potential impacts (for good or ill) of proposed legislation and encourages our elected representatives to vote accordingly. Recognizing that we won't always be in perfect agreement, we think it's important to acknowledge our representatives
Wednesday, October 20, 2021Community Broadband Needs Assessment: Entities
For the past few years, EconAlliance has served as Santa Barbara County liaison to the tri-county Broadband Consortium Pacific Coast (Consortium), working cooperatively with the Consortium first to enhance broadband in Northern Santa Barbara County. In early 2020, EconAlliance conceptualized the “Northern Santa Barbara County Fiber Ring” and has since been actively seeking funding to accelerate development of the Fiber Ring. Part of this effort involves building awareness of grant and other funding
Friday, October 01, 2021CalChamber: Added Burdens for Hard-Hit Hospitality Industry Vetoed
Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed legislation opposed by the California Chamber of Commerce that would have imposed additional burdens and costs on the lodging industry. The vetoed bill, AB 1074 (Lorena Gonzalez; D-San Diego), had the potential to cause further harm to the hospitality industry by forcing a new service provider for a hotel to hire the previous contracted provider’s employees and navigate statutory barriers erected around operational positions, staffing redundancies, technical abilities,
Tuesday, September 21, 2021COVID-19 Business Impact Survey: September 2021
Between a historic gubernatorial recall election, county-wide mask mandates and back to school season, the past three months since our statewide reopening has been busy to say the least. We want to know how your business is maneuvering the newest phase of this pandemic and how we can best serve your needs. Please take a few minutes (average is 4) to fill out thissurveybefore it closes Monday, October 4 at midnight. The Central Coast Coalition of Chambers has committed to send out bi-monthly
Monday, September 13, 2021Chamber Joins Coalition Requesting Governor’s Veto On AB 616
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to respectfully REQUEST your VETO AB 616 (Stone), which has been labeled as a JOB KILLER. This bill seeks to eliminate an agricultural employee’s democratic right to cast an independent vote in a secret ballot election regarding whether to unionize, making them susceptible to coercion and misinformation. The bill also creates an unfair retaliation presumption against employers and imposes an unrealistic
Tuesday, September 07, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 1074
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) and other organizations to oppose AB 1074 as it is an unprecedented expansion of current law with the potential to further harm the already decimated lodging industry. Hotels are significant enterprises which require a number ofspecialized services provided by companies that tailor to tailor to their particular needs. Changing contractors is not a proposition hotels take lightly, as the change can be an
Thursday, August 26, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes The Extension Of SB 95 (Skinner)
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations oppose any proposal for a blanket extension of SB 95 beyond the September 30, 2021 sunset date. The situation has changed significantly since SB 95 was enacted in March. Far fewer Californians were vaccinated, and many Californians had not yet had the opportunity to get vaccinated. Now, vaccines are free and widely available – but many Californians are choosing not to get them. This has led us to what
Monday, August 23, 2021Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant: New Funding Round to Open in September
New applicants for California’s Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will be able to apply in the funding round opening on September 9 and continuing through September 30.The program provides grants of $5,000 to $25,000 to small businesses hurt by the pandemic. Businesses are eligible based on annual revenue as documented in their most recent tax return.New funding rounds were made possible by an additional $1.5 billion in funding authorized in a relief package signed by the Governor. Total
Thursday, July 15, 2021Participate in the County’s Citizens Independent Redistricting Commission Hearing
Wednesday, August 4 • 6:00 PM Join us in-person: Betteravia Hearing Room 511 East Lakeside Parkway Santa Maria, CA Join via Zoom:https://zoom.us/j/96627818457 or call (669) 900-6833 or (346) 248-7799 ID: 966 2781 8457 Spanish translation will be provided in-person at the hearing, if requested in advance and on Zoom The Commission is looking for input from community members and residents, particularly from the County of Santa Barbara’s Fifth District, on important communities of interest and
Friday, June 25, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 1041
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to oppose AB 1041. The existing provisions of CFRA are already challenging, confusing, and burdensome, and small employers who are struggling as a result of this pandemic are overwhelmed by the current law. Additionally, existing paid sick leave laws are difficult to administer. Expanding both of these laws as proposed under AB 1041 will simply expedite the shutdown of more small businesses in California
Wednesday, June 16, 2021COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards Amendments for Consideration at the June 17th Meeting
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to submit this letter to provide comment upon, and underline the need for clarification of, the proposed re-adoption of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (Section 3205, or “ETS”), and differences between the text proposed for adoption at the June 17th meeting1 (the “Amended ETS”) and the existing provisions of the ETS. For the points not specifically discussed below, we would re-iterate the
Monday, June 14, 2021Cal/OSHA to Revise COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard Again
Revisions to California’s COVID-19 workplace emergency temporary standard (ETS) were delayed again this week at a special meeting of the Cal/OSHA Standards Board, but employers may find a silver lining to this cloud. The Standards Board voted at the end of the four-hour meeting on June 9 to withdraw the revised ETS text it had approved less than a week earlier (on June 3) so the Cal/OSHA staff can make some quick changes and resubmit them to the Standards Board for a vote at its June 17 meeting. The
Tuesday, May 25, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes SB 213
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to respectfully OPPOSE SB 213 (Cortese), which will impose an astronomical financial burden on employers in the healthcare industry that is presently grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and create a troubling precedent for the workers’ compensation system in general by creating a legal presumption that blood borne infectious disease, tuberculosis, meningitis, methicillin-resistant
Tuesday, May 11, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 570
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to oppose AB 570. While the bill is certainly well-intentioned, it will place an additional strain on struggling businesses for coverage that is already accessible and affordable for those who need it.The letter written in opposition of AB 570 can be found here
Friday, April 30, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 650
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to oppose AB 570 and label it as a Job Killer bill. AB 650 imposes at least an estimated $6 billion in direct payroll costs on healthcare providers, which have lost billions of dollars during the pandemic, jeopardizing access to affordable healthcare for Californians.The letter written in opposition of AB 650 can be found here
Monday, April 26, 2021Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations Proposal Roundtable Recap
For those that may not have had an opportunity to attend the webinar on Monday, a narrated video of the presentation itself (without Q-As) on the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations Proposal has been publicly posted to our County’s website. Links have been provided below for your convenience. Microenterprise Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) Presentation:https://countyofsb.org/phd/ehs/mehko_english.sbc Updated Stakeholder Outreach Information and Notice of Board
Friday, April 16, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Supports AB 1033
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to support AB 1033. AB 1033 will establish a more practical procedure for the small employer family leave mediation pilot program, which allows small employers to mediate paid family leave claims before a lawsuit can be filed.The letter written in support of AB 1033 can be found here
Friday, April 16, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 95
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to oppose AB 95 and identify it as a Job Killer bill. The bill further prohibits adverse action against employees and authorizes a brand-new private right of action (in addition to liability under PAGA and administrative enforcement through the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement). AB 95 should instead be added as a qualifying reason under the California Family Rights Act (“CFRA”), which was just
Thursday, April 15, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 1003
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to oppose AB 1003 and identify it as a Job Killer bill. AB 1003 would subject employers of all sizes, including individual owners, to criminal liability/jail time for good faith wage disputes totaling $950.00 or more, even when the employer is simply following the advice of the state Labor Commissioner. This broad criminalization of a failure to pay wages is overly vindictive and likely violates Article
Wednesday, April 14, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 1179
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to oppose AB 1179 and identify it as a Job Killer bill. AB 1179 will add a significant new cost on employers to pay for employees’ childcare and exposes these employers to costly litigation under the Labor Code Private Attorney General Act (PAGA).The letter written in opposition of AB 1179 can be found here
Wednesday, April 14, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 1192
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to oppose AB 1074 and identify it as a Job Killer bill. AB 1192 forces employers to publicly disclose information regarding labor and employment issues for employees across the country that will subject employers to unfair and unwarranted shaming, as well as subject employers to frivolous litigation and the loss of state benefits.The letter written in opposition of AB 1074 can be found here
Tuesday, April 13, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Supports SB 657
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to support SB 657 (Ochoa Bogh). SB 657 will make it easier for telecommuting employees to receive required notices from their employer. During the current COVID-19 crisis, many employers have considered offering employees the opportunity to work from home in the midst of shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders. Where such telecommuting is possible, it allows employees to remain working and earning
Tuesday, April 13, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 84/SB 93
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to OPPOSE AB 84/SB 93. AB 84/SB 93 places additional onerous burdens on the industry as it struggles to reopen, that will ultimately slow down rehiring and their recovery.The letter written in opposition of AB 84/SB 93 can be found here.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 1119
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to OPPOSE AB 1119, and identify it as a Job Killer. AB 1119 adds any individual with “family responsibilities” as a protected class to the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), which creates an automatic basis for an individual in that new classification to challenge any adverse employment action.The letter written in opposition of AB 1119 can be found here.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 995
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to OPPOSE AB 995, and identify it as a Job Killer bill. AB 995 would impose significant costs on small businesses by amending the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (the Act) to increase the number of paid sick days employers are required to provide from 3 days to 5 days, increase the cap that employers can place on paid sick days from 6 days to 10 days, and increase the number of paid sick days an
Monday, March 29, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Joins CalChamber in Highlighting “Job Killer” Bills
Each year, CalChamber identifies legislative proposals that, if enacted as drafted, would cause the most harm to California businesses and economy. Typically, these bills include new and expanded mandates on labor and employment costs, increase taxes, or infringe on business operations through new government regulations or enforcement. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber works to track state and local legislation and regulatory proposals, educate both business owners and elected decision-makers about the
Friday, March 19, 2021Chamber Endorses Package of Bills Addressing Post-Pandemic Workforce Rules Flexibility
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to endorse a package of bills that will address post-pandemic workforce rules flexibility. For more information on support of each bill, please click the links below.SB 657AB 230AB 513AB 530AB 1028
Thursday, March 18, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Supports AB 62
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to SUPPORT AB 62 (Gray) since it will facilitate and assist with California’s economic recovery. Businesses of all sizes are reeling from the catastrophic impacts of COVID-19 and the state’s new burdensome regulatory requirements aim to make this situation unmanageable. AB 62 begins to address these pervasive issues by providing a tax credit for struggling businesses seeking to comply with costly new
Tuesday, March 16, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Offers Support of SBCAG Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant application for completion of the Santa Barbara U.S. 101 Multimodal Corridor Project.
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber recently offered their support of SBCAG Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant application for completion of the Santa Barbara U.S. 101 Multimodal Corridor Project. This project is in the final phase of a more than 15-year publicly supported effort to provide multiple transportation benefits on U.S. 101 to reduce congestion, improve quality of life, support interregional goods movement, foster environmental sustainability, increase safety and multimodal access,
Monday, March 15, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Opposes AB 84/SB 95
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to respectfully OPPOSE AB 84 (Ting)/ SB 95 (Skinner), as the bills would imposes a significant cost onto small employers, who the State has already acknowledged are suffering due to this pandemic. This paid sick leave mandate would essentially negate any financial relief small employers may receive through the proposed grant programs pending in the Budget. Glenn Morris commented on the bills stating,
Tuesday, March 09, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Recommends Actions For Corporate Meetings, Events, And Conventions In California
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with many hospitality and tourism organizations to send a letter to Governor Newsom recommending that the Governor provide State Guidelines for Corporate Meetings, Events and Conventions in California. This sector of the economy has been devastated by the pandemic. The letter was written to Governor Newsom however, not about present economic impacts, but to sound an alarm about our ability to win this business back in the coming years. The letter written to
Tuesday, March 02, 2021Paving a Roadmap to Recovery: Santa Maria Valley Chamber Partners with Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber to Get Local Communities Back to Business
It has been a year now since the pandemic began, and the impact on local businesses cannot be overstated. As an advocate for our business community, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber continues to look for ways to support our local businesses through reopening and recovery. As part of that effort, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber has partnered with the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber on their Roadmap to Recovery. The plan maps a course for local economic recovery based on efforts over the next 6 months and
Monday, March 01, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Recommends Actions Promoting Economic Recovery
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the California Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to send a letter to Governor Newsom recommending specific actions to assist small businesses who continue to struggle as a result of the pandemic. California's small businesses are reeling from the economic fallout of COVID-19 shut-downs and need the financial bridge that grants, tax breaks, fee waivers, and elimination of additional costs/mandates offer so that they can stay afloat until our economy
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Thursday, February 18, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber responds to request for public input on reasonable accommodations for associational disabilities under the Fair Employment and Housing Act
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with CalChamber and various other organizations in a request for public input on reasonable accommodations for associational disabilities under the Fair Employment and Housing Act.The letter with the public input submitted on this issue can be found here.
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Tuesday, February 16, 2021Santa Maria Valley Chamber Supports SB 74
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is pleased to support SB 74, since it will facilitate and assist with California’s economic recovery. Businesses of all sizes are reeling from the catastrophic impacts of COVID-19 and California is still experiencing high rates of unemployment. SB 74, in conjunction with the Small Business Grants Program Budget proposal and federal aid programs, would assist with addressing these pervasive issues and provides employers impacted by the pandemic with a financial bridge until
Tuesday, February 16, 2021In Purple Tier, 26% more businesses report being able to reopen
A majority of respondents say they will get vaccine and encourage employees to do so as wellSan Luis Obispo, CA - The Central Coast Coalition of Chambers has released results from their bi-monthly survey on COVID-19 impacts to businesses. Since May, nearly 2,900 businesses between San Miguel and Solvang have responded, allowing the Coalition to track sentiment and changes over the nine-month period. The most recent bi-monthly survey ran from February 1-12, with the Regional Stay-at-Home order being lifted
Monday, February 01, 2021Moving Forward While Staying Home: Chamber Continues Partnerships, Advocacy and Outreach During Pandemic
While we may have (until recently) been under a Stay at Home Order, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber has continued their forward momentum in supporting local businesses and planning for the coming year. Our partnerships locally and throughout the Central Coast region continue to play a critical role in advocating for our business community. Recently, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber partnered with the other Chambers in Santa Barbara County to launch the “Safe Return to Work Campaign”, advocating that
