Golden State Today

The California Chamber of Commerce has issued a statement regarding Governor Gavin Newsom's budget priorities for 2025. The organization expressed gratitude for the Governor's efforts to enhance California's economy amid challenging times, including the recent Los Angeles wildfires.

CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera commented on the budget proposal, stating: "As we are in the midst of incredibly challenging moments for California with the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, we are grateful to the Governor for his commitment to improving California’s economy and protecting our state’s competitiveness as reflected in the 2025 budget proposal."

Barrera also acknowledged the Governor's stance on taxes and support for film tax credits and CalCompetes grants, which she believes will benefit small business employers in California. She added: "We appreciate the Governor continuing to hold the line on new taxes and his support of larger film tax credits and CalCompetes grants that will benefit California’s small business employers."

Furthermore, Barrera urged consideration for reinstating a specific tax credit. "We encourage the Governor to consider reinstating the Research and Development tax credit which will invite innovation and spur much needed investment in our economy," she said.

Emphasizing recovery efforts following recent events, Barrera stated: "Investment into wildfire recovery will be key to California recovering from this week’s devastating events and we stand ready to partner with the administration to assist the region in any way possible."