Legislation

Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance (IECLA) is an alliance among seven Inland Valley Chambers of Commerce. The IECLA has a legislative subcommittee that reviews issues and legislation concerning business.  That committee then makes recommendations to the IECLA and a vote is taken to determine support, opposition or neutrality on these matters.  The IECLA also hosts programs to educate and promote business concerns for the Inland Empire. 

What We are Supporting:

Hoover Power Legislation

Dear Representative Napolitano,

On behalf of water ratepayers throughout our service area, we want to thank you for your leadership and commitment to sponsor legislation that will retain Hoover Dam power for beneficiaries in Southern California. This action will preserve low-cost, emission-free Hoover Dam hydropower currently used to move Colorado River water across the Southern California region.
Hoover Dam power contractors in California, Nevada, and Arizona have reached a compromise after two years of negotiations to ensure beneficiaries of Hoover Dam power today will continue to have access to this power source well into the future. Congressional action is necessary to provide certainty for these contractors. It will avoid costly litigation over the distribution of this crucial resource and complement environmental mitigation efforts already underway along the Lower Colorado River. That environmental commitment extends for 50 years – the same amount of time now being sought to extend Hoover Dam power allocations.
Should California contractors lose their historic Hoover Dam power allocation, they will be forced to pay a premium for additional power supplies that may not be emission free. That would be a tremendous financial and environmental setback for the State, and for numerous Southern California cities, and would also result in dramatically more expensive imported water.

Once again, your leadership is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,

Bob Cable, President
Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance

SUPPORT for SB 960 (Dutton)

Dear Senator Dutton,

The Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance is pleased to support Senate Bill 960 to bring sunshine and accountability to the costly and sweeping regulations being pursued by the California Air Resources Board. SB 960 would require the non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office to assess the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of all CARB regulations estimated to cost $10 million or more.

Recent studies show that regulations currently under consideration by CARB will erode California’s economy and cost up to 1.1 million jobs. It is imperative that California policymakers understand the true economic impact of CARB’s plans. The Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance believes that SB 960 will bring much-needed regulatory accountability to CARB and protect the private sector from over-reaching regulations that cost our state jobs.
Once again, your leadership is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,

Bob Cable, President
Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance

SUPPORT for SB 942 (Dutton)

Dear Senator Dutton,

The Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance is pleased to support Senate Bill 942. We believe this legislation will help ease needless regulatory burdens on private businesses, helping to stimulate economic growth and private sector job creation. SB 942 calls upon the non-partisan State Auditor to review existing regulations and to recommend eliminating those found to be unnecessary or too costly. The bill also requires that regulations sunset after 10 years unless they are determined necessary.

Recent studies have ranked California as the most costly state in the nation in which to do business, and warn that excessive regulations are strangling California’s economy. To lower costs, many California-based businesses are shifting jobs outside California. The Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance believes that SB 942 will reduce needless regulatory burdens and improve California’s struggling business environment.
Once again, your leadership is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,

Bob Cable, President
Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance

What we are Opposing:

AB 1594 (Huber): Peripheral Canal – OPPOSE
Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee

Dear Assembly Member Huffman:

As a recipient of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and a supporter of the California Legislature’s co-equal goals of restoring the Delta and providing reliable water supplies, the undersigned strongly opposes AB 1594 by Assembly Member Alyson Huber. AB 1594 seeks to replace last year’s historic legislative package to address the Delta crisis with a cumbersome and unnecessary process that would force the Legislature to design all of the very crucial details of the necessary conveyance improvements in the Delta.

Water supplies for 25 million Californians and millions of acres of agriculture are in jeopardy because of the worsening environmental crisis in the Delta. Bold action is critical. The Delta legislative package adopted last year will help to restore water supplies by providing clear ground rules for a comprehensive ecosystem restoration/water system strategy that is emerging through the Bay Delta Conservation Plan. The Legislature explicitly added extensive safeguards to this process, such as the requirement that the Plan comply with the highest environmental standard and review a variety of water conveyance options.

There is simply no need for an additional economic review by the Legislative Analyst’s Office as mandated by AB 1594. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan incorporates numerous layers of economic impacts analysis and risk analysis, which further complements the extensive requirements under existing state environmental law.

And, there is also no need for the Legislature to be forced to design all of the details of the future water system for the Delta as envisioned by the approval process in AB 1594. This bill is a thinly-veiled attempt to stop progress in the Delta. The Legislature provided sound and balanced policy direction in last year’s package that should not be undermined by AB 1594. The status quo in the Delta is unacceptable for the environment and the state economy, and dramatic action is absolutely necessary.

Please do not make the Delta crisis even worse by adding redundant and dangerous steps to an already complicated, comprehensive process. Please support action in the Delta by strongly opposing AB 1594. If you should need any additional information regarding our assessment of AB 1594, please do not hesitate to contact me at (909) 982-6021.

Sincerely,


Bob Cable, President
Inland Empire Chamber Legislative Alliance

Guiding principals:

Worker’s Compensation

A good Worker’s Compensation system is essential for the health and well-being on businesses and employees.  Unfortunately, the system has gone through so many overhauls, by so many different administrations, that the system has become flawed.  The high cost of premiums served as the main reason that many businesses left California and moved to other states.

·         The IECLA supports legislation to keep worker’s compensation insurance affordable to all employers. The system must be fair to both employers and employees.

·         The IECLA encourages legislative efforts to keep waste and fraud out of the system.

Utilities

Water and energy needs are critical issue for the growth of business in California.  Business needs to find ways to become more energy efficient without losing productivity. 

·         The IECLA actively participates in energy and water events to keep businesses informed about long-term solutions for our over-extended resources.

·         The IECLA supports efforts to make energy and water more affordable for business.

·         The IECLA is dedicated to supporting efforts of research and development of alternative energy sources and conservation of our current resources.

·         The IECLA is a member of California’s Water Future Alliance.

Transportation

Transportation issues are vital to the business community.  Businesses need to be able to move their goods and deliver their products on time.  Employees of businesses need to be able to get to their jobs on time and not waste hours in traffic on our roads and freeways.  

·         The IECLA supports measures to ease congestion, repair roads and encourage public transportation.

·         The IECLA supported Measure I and Proposition 42 as part of the long-term solutions to our road and highway issues. 

·         We have also supported Proposition 1.  The Proposition closed a loophole that allowed Sacramento to divert funds (from gasoline taxes) apportioned for transportation to other projects.    

Health Care

We truly believe businesses want to provide affordable health care to their employees.  Health insurance premiums have soared so high that many small employers are unable to provide health insurance to their employees.

·         The IECLA has great concerns about health care and health insurance issues in California.

·         We have shared our concerns with local legislators that California needs affordable health care for all employees. We have urged them to endorse conformity with the Federal rules regarding Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s).

·         The IECLA has not supported establishing a bureaucracy (state) that will administer any health care plan.

·         The IECLA would like to see incentives to businesses that offer health insurance to employees rather than forcing businesses and their employees into a state-run healthcare system.

The IECLA also hosts programs to educate and promote business issues for the Inland Empire.