California bill would require corporations to report and cut down carbon emissions

[Source: The Sacramento Bee] Large California corporations would be required to publicly disclose their carbon footprint and take active steps to reduce emissions, under a proposed law announced Wednesday morning. The bill, Senate Bill 260, would apply to any business that reports more than $1 billion in gross annual revenue. It would give the California Read More…

Now is not the time for tax increases

[Source: CalChamber] When Governor Newsom endorsed Prop 15 in September – which voters soundly rejected in November – he specifically said “In a global, mobile economy, now is not the time for the kind of state tax increases on income we saw proposed at the end of this legislative session and I will not sign Read More…

California’s new series of COVID-19 reporting requirements

[Source: CalChamber] During the 2020 California legislative session, COVID-19 forced lawmakers to pivot from their routine business to addressing the growing pandemic. In response, the Legislature enacted SB 1159 and AB 685 that created certain reporting requirements for employers when learning of a positive case. Following up, Cal/OSHA recently approved and implemented COVID-19 emergency regulations Read More…

Now Oracle’s exiting California for Texas. Will the last one in Silicon Valley, please turn out the lights?

[Source: FOX Business] If the outbound migration from Silicon Valley to Texas continues at its current clip, we may soon see a sign on southbound Highway 101 “Will the Last One in Silicon Valley, Please Turn Out the Lights?” (although California’s frequent blackouts might render the sign redundant). Just 11 days after Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Read More…

Newsom picks new leader for powerful California air board

[Source: POLILTICO] California Gov. Gavin Newsom will announce Wednesday that he is appointing longtime state regulator Liane Randolph as the next chair of the Air Resources Board, an agency that has regularly shaped the U.S. manufacturing landscape through strict environmental requirements. Randolph, 55, will replace outgoing California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols, who is Read More…

California tax revenue billions higher than expected, thanks in part to federal help

[Source: Sacramento Bee] From July through September, California collected $8.7 billion more in tax revenue than anticipated, according to the state’s Department of Finance, a bright sign amid a year of devastating economic news. The numbers (http://www.dof.ca.gov/Forecasting/Economics/Economic_and_Revenue_Updates/documents/2020/Oct-20.pdf) reflect the positive effect of federal aid, which came in the form of one-time $1,200 checks for individuals Read More…

Emergency COVID-19 rules coming soon

[Source: CalChamber] In November the Cal/OSHA Standards Board is expected to vote on emergency COVID-19 regulations Petition 583 (https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/petition-583.html) that will not be made public until five days before the Board vote, Moutrie tells Frank. While the specifics of the regulations are not yet known, employers can expect them to be far reaching, affecting all Read More…