Golden State Today

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in California released its March 17-21 Main Street Minute updates, highlighting upcoming legislative and small business-related events.

A webinar titled "New Small Business Laws" will be held on Wednesday, March 26, at 10 a.m. Hosted by NFIB California, the event will feature Ben Ebbink, a legal expert in labor and employment law, who will discuss significant laws for 2025 affecting small businesses and address ongoing compliance issues. Ebbink, a seasoned attorney with over two decades of experience, is also a partner at Fisher & Phillips LLP.

The NFIB has announced that Augie Venezia, a member and owner of Fairfax Lumber & Hardware, will testify before the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. Venezia will support Senate Bill 2, proposed by Senator Brian Jones, which seeks to reverse certain amendments to the Low-Carbon Fuel Standard regulations that some believe could increase fuel costs.

In a letter from NFIB Policy and Legislative Director Tim Taylor to Senator Jones, he stated, "NFIB contends that shifting dollars to subsidize unclean biofuels does nothing to further California’s stated goals of reaching a zero-emissions, fully-electrified state. Instead, the LCSF amendments, if implemented, would only serve to economically hurt small business owners and their employees while simultaneously driving up the costs of goods and services for all Californians."

Separately, the Los Angeles Times covered a story about budget allocations by the governor to balance the state budget using funds from the recently approved climate bond, Proposition 4, which was intended for climate-related initiatives, causing skepticism among voters.

On the technological front, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are making strides in healthcare and other sectors. Senator Tom Umberg is pushing for regulation through Senate Bill 44 to ensure that companies use collected neural data solely for its intended purpose and subsequently delete it.

Nationally, NFIB's federal activities include a new podcast episode and advocacy efforts on legislative matters such as the Corporate Transparency Act and the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act. Andrea McGee, a NFIB federal relations principal, commented, "The REPAIR Act is a much-needed piece of bipartisan legislation to increase competition in the automotive repair industry and keep money in consumers’ pockets."

The NFIB California will continue to keep its members informed through regular updates and has scheduled its next Main Street Minute for March 24.