Gavin Newsom Denies White House Bid, but he is following the Contender’s Playbook

Is Governor Newsom running for President of the United States? The California governor has stated he’s not running, not in 2024 or any other year. Nevertheless, he is acting in a manner that is consistent with most White House aspirants' playbook. He’s meeting with small, influential Democratic groups around the country, raising and donating lots of money, and speaking out against Republicans. Most recently, the Governor arranged a one-to-one televised debate with Republican Presidential hopeful Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida.

The long-term plans of Governor Newsom remain unclear, but one thing is certain: he is not out of the race for President just yet. To read more, click here.

House Freedom Caucus Rolls out Demands to avoid shutdown

As the government shutdown deadline approaches, the House Freedom Caucus has formally announced their demands to prevent a shutdown from taking place. The group of roughly three dozen Republican lawmakers said it would oppose any short-term stopgap unless leadership meets their expectations of reining in government spending that keeps the fiscal budget at $1.471 trillion.

In a letter, the House Freedom Caucus expressed its concern that compromises to increase spending would most likely result in GOP votes being taken away from legislation such as the Border Patrol bill and the financial support for Ukraine. The impending result could bring to question the leadership of Speaker McCarthy and the future of the Republican majority in the House ahead of a difficult election cycle.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, earlier this month, publicly said a temporary fix would be necessary to avoid a shutdown at the end of September.

Republicans and Democrats will need to come together and work on a deal to avoid a financial meltdown. To read more, click here.


Businesses Want to Make it Harder to Raise California Taxes. Democrats are Pushing Back

Californians for Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability, a new business coalition, qualified a measure for the ballot in 2024. The coalition, which was initiated by a group of small business owners, is working to raise the threshold for approving changes to state and local taxes. The requirement would also require two-thirds of voters to approve local tax increases.

Throughout the state, many local governments and organized labor have expressed outrage at the ballot initiative, warning it would deprive cities and counties of necessary revenue for government services.

Democratic legislators in the state rebutted the ballot measure with their own constitutional amendment. This amendment would require any ballot measure that changes voter thresholds to be approved by the same margin, which in this instance would be two-thirds. To read more, click here.


An Evening with the Mayor - State of the City Address
Thursday, September 28, 4:30 - 7 PM

Click here for Tickets & Details

Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce Opposes Senate Bill 799

The Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce opposes Senate Bill 799. The bill was authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D - Burbank) and seeks to provide unemployment insurance to striking workers. In accordance with SB 799, striking workers would be eligible for benefits after being on strike for two weeks. It is anticipated that SB 799, if passed, will worsen the already insolvent UI fund, and threaten benefits to California's unemployed in the future.

The Beverly Hills Chamber joins other Chambers of Commerce organizations in opposing this bill. To read more about SB 799 click here.

Attend our Next GAC Meeting on September 14

Please attend the Chamber’s next Government Affairs Committee meeting on Thursday, September 14 at 4 PM at the Chamber office. We will have a fresh slate of important issues to discuss!

UPCOMING EVENTS & MEETINGS

9.6     Economic Development Council Lunch | 12 - 1:30 PM @ Crustacean

9.8     September Networking Breakfast | 8:30 - 9 AM @ Sant'olina

9.12   Get To Know Your Chamber | 8:30 - 10 AM @ Chamber Boardroom

9.14   Young Professionals Network Committee Meeting | 2 - 3 PM

9.14   Government Affairs Committee Meeting | 4 - 5 PM @ Chamber Boardroom

9.14   Chairman's Circle Experience - SoFi Stadium Dine & Tour | 3:30 - 7 @ SoFi Stadium  

9.19   Women's Business Network Meeting | 4:30 - 5:30 PM @ Chamber Boardroom

9.19   FLAIR Networking Event | 6 - 8 PM @ Fogo de Chão

9.20   September Chairman's Circle Networking Group | 12 - 1:30 PM @ Il Fornaio

9.21   In Person Workshop: Get To Know Your City | 8:30 - 9:30 AM @ Chamber Boardroom

9.27   An Evening with the Mayor: State of the City Address | 4:30 - 7 PM
@ Greystone Mansion Formal Gardens

10.4   Health & Wellness Committee Meeting | 8 - 9 AM