Golden State Today

Lawyers and environmentalists faced a setback as Senate Bill 222 did not pass in the California Senate Judiciary Committee, obtaining only five votes from the 13-member panel. The legislation aimed to allow Californians with $10,000 in weather-related damages to sue oil companies for their fossil fuel contribution to climate change. Senators Anna Caballero and Angelique Ashby, typically supportive of such measures, expressed their reservations. Caballero stated, “I wish I liked this bill better,” while Ashby remarked, “Too much money spent on lawyers and courts. I’m not going to support the bill today.”

The Sacramento Bee editorial shared a similar perspective, pointing out, “It’s probably a good thing Senate Bill 222 by Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, lost.” The editorial also highlighted concerns about the lack of real-world solutions from the party in power.

John Kabateck, NFIB State Director, also commented on SB 222, describing its failure as a stunning setback. In his commentary, he applauded other legislative proposals, such as Assembly Bill 609 and Senate Bill 690, for not supporting continuous regulations and legal actions. Assembly Bill 609 would remove environmental lawsuits over proposed apartment buildings, while Senate Bill 690 clarifies personal information processing to avoid privacy invasion lawsuits.

The legislative session is taking a break from April 10 to April 21. Additional legislative events are set for May and June, including major bill deadline months and budget revisions.

On a national level, NFIB addressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a letter, appreciating the narrowed scope of the Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements, which now exclude small American businesses. NFIB continues its opposition to the Corporate Transparency Act and BOI regulations, with legal challenges ongoing.

Holly Wade from the NFIB Research Center was featured on Bloomberg: The Close, discussing the Small Business Optimism Index and various issues affecting small businesses across the country.

The next NFIB California Main Street Minute will be available on April 21.