Senate Bill 12 would kill housing construction

[Source: Orange County Register] Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state housing crisis in 2019, calling for 3.5 million new homes to meet the state’s booming economy. California business organizations joined with the Building Industry Association of Southern California, Orange County Business Council, and BizFed LA in supporting that declaration and call to action. Lack of Read More…

California businesses may have to pay more for workers’ compensation as benchmark rates are under review

[Source: The North Bay Business Journal] While it has little to do yet with the coronavirus, workers’ compensation insurance rates may be going up. Over the next month, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will review rates recommended by the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau, a nonprofit which evaluates trends, including the costs of potential claims. Read More…

Is your company prepared for California supply chain carbon emission and climate financial risk disclosures?

[Source: CalChamber] This year, the California Legislature is considering two major new climate policies. The first would alter the way companies collect, audit, disclose, and set carbon emission reductions goals, and the second would require companies to disclose all climate financial risk. Both bills would represent a sea change in how all companies do business—not Read More…

California agency approves warehouse rule for air quality

[Source: Associated Press] Southern California air quality regulators on Friday approved a rule that would curb diesel emissions from thousands of trucks that ferry goods from the growing number of massive warehouses in the region run by Amazon and other companies. Areas around the facilities have weathered increased pollution affecting their largely minority communities. The Read More…

CARB settles with Gemini Coatings for $145,000 for clean air violations

[Source: CARB] The California Air Resources Board reached a settlement agreement with Gemini Coatings, Inc. of Oklahoma for $145,000 for violations of the consumer products regulations that set limits for smog-forming compounds. CARB investigators found that from 2015 to 2018, Gemini Coatings sold, supplied, offered for sale, and/or manufactured noncompliant consumer products in California. One Read More…

Prop 65 bounty hunters barred from filing acrylamide lawsuits based on First Amendment

[Source: MONDAQ] In a landmark ruling with implications for the future of Proposition 65 enforcement, the US District Court for the Eastern District of California has preliminarily enjoined any person from filing or prosecuting lawsuits seeking cancer warnings for acrylamide on food and beverage products sold in California. The ruling stops hundreds of enforcement actions Read More…