SB 661 would weaken California’s Made in USA label (2-year bill)
CFC opposed the bill, which would undercut businesses that are committed to American manufacturing and mislead consumers who care about truthful labels. It has become a 2-year bill. Read More ›
Legislation seeks to tweak standards for ‘Made in USA’
by Sally Schilling, San Mateo Daily Journal
We do not support changing the current standard. If something is 90 percent made in the U.S., it should say 90 percent made in the U.S., said Richard Holober, CFC executive director. Read More ›
Prop. 13 loophole gives edge to big players
by Jason Felch and Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times
Change of ownership, key to reassessment, is cut-and-dried for homeowners but not businesses. It means a loss of tens of millions of dollars a year in tax revenue.
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California tax revenue yields multibillion-dollar surplus
by Chris Megerian, Los Angeles Times
State coffers contain about $4.5 billion more than expected in personal income tax payments. Business taxes have also rebounded, signaling an economic recovery. Read More ›
The fight for the “Right to Know” goes on
by Nicole A. Ozer , ACLU Northern California
Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) has announced that the California Right to Know Act (AB 1291) will not be voted on this year but she will keep working to pass it next year. Read More ›
Where will the drone jobs go? States balance economic opportunity with privacy concerns
by Victor Luckerson, Time
In California, with the highest unemployment rate, Republican Jeff Gorell and Democrat Steven Bradford presented a privacy bill that guards against drone surveillance, but they are pushing a bill to provide tax breaks to drone manufacturers. Read More ›
Assembly committee passes three bills to impose fracking moratorium
by Timm Herdt, Ventura County Star
An Assembly panel passed three bills that propose to halt fracking for up to five years while more studies on environmental safety are conducted. Read More ›
Annual Medicare, Medicaid spending in California tops $100 billion
by Phillip Reese, Sacramento Bee
Government health spending in California now exceeds the size of the entire state general fund budget. Read More ›
Furloughs over, so air controllers (and flights) back on schedule
by Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times
Operations are back to normal at airports across the country as federal officials stop the furlough of air traffic controllers. Read More ›
Sacramento plans solar-powered ‘smart’ parking meters
by Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee
Seven years after introducing parking kiosks downtown, Sacramento officials say it’s time for an even more expansive upgrade of downtown parking, starting with solar-powered parking meters that drivers can pay via cellphone.
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AB 1291 Internet Right to Know Act (2-year bill)
The fight in California to liberate people’s personal information from the companies that track them online has been put on hold for the rest of the year. Assemblymember Lowenthal decided to stall her Right to Know Act of 2013 to garner more support, delaying action until 2014. Read More ›
‘Temporary’ California fees live on
by Jim Sanders, Sacramento Bee
Californians have paid tens of millions of dollars the past three years in state fees that had been scheduled to die – but never did. Read More ›
Lawmakers seek to strip medical board of investigative powers
by Scott Glover and Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times
The Medical Board of California would be stripped of its power to investigate physician misconduct under a sweeping reform plan by legislators who say the agency has struggled to hold problem doctors accountable. Read More ›