Analysis: Which proposed bills help, hinder, small businesses

23 Mar, 2015 by John Seiler

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Among the approximately 2,000 bills considered in the California Legislature this year, many affect small businesses. Here’s the analysis of four by the National Federation of Independent Business California:

Assembly Bill 23 and Senate Bill 5, the Affordable Gas Tax for Families Act. The bills are sponsored, respectively, by Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno; and state Sen. Andy Vidak, R-Hanford. The NFIB/CA supports the bills, which in its analysis would:

Exempt certain categories of persons or entities, such as transportation fuels, from inclusion in the state’s cap-and-trade program.
Will remove transportation fuels from the cap-and-trade program and eliminate the gas tax.

Unless the tax exemption is passed, according to a recent study by the California Drivers Alliance, the tax potentially could kill over 18,000 jobs and $2.9 billion in economic output in 2015.

Tax Holiday

AB1280: Small Business Tax Holiday. It’s by Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, R-San Diego. The NFIB/CA is a sponsor of the bill, which in its analysis:

Allows a one-day sales and use tax exemption annually for small businesses that collect less than $200,000 on sales tax the previous year.
The specific day would be the Saturday following Thanksgiving, also known as “Small Business Saturday.”
Does not interfere with a local government’s ability to tax.
Mirrors a similar proposal that has been put forth in Florida this year.

Double Pay

AB67, the Double Pay on the Holiday Act of 2015. It’s by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego. The NFIB/CA opposes the bill, which in its analysis:

Defines “family holiday” to mean either December 25 or the fourth Thursday of November each year, the Thanksgiving holiday.
Provides that any work performed on a family holiday shall be compensated at no less than twice the employee’s regular rate of pay.
Provides that “employee” does not include an employee covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement that meets specified criteria.

John Seiler

John Seiler has been writing about California for 25 years. That includes 22 years as an editorial writer for the Orange County Register and two years for CalWatchDog.com, where he is managing editor. He attended the University of Michigan and graduated from Hillsdale College. He was a Russian linguist in U.S. Army military intelligence from 1978 to 1982. He was an editor and writer for Phillips Publishing Company from 1983 to 1986. He has written for Policy Review, Chronicles, LewRockwell.com, Flash Report and numerous other publications. His email: [email protected]