ADVOCACY REPORT
Legislators Return for Final Push
egislators returned to Sacramento in late
August for the final push to the September 15
deadline. This session, the legislature wrestled
with many contentious issues including the passage of
the largest infrastructure and tax package in the State’s
history, advancing landmark Cap and Trade legislation
and grappled with state-sponsored single payer health
care. Below is a discussion of key issues the Almond
Alliance is working on for the industry.
Advancing Cap and Trade
Last year, SB 32 was enacted, extending California’s
Global Warming Solutions Act requiring 40 percent
reductions of carbon emissions below 1990 levels
by 2030. It is important to note that SB 32 extended
the California Air Resources Board’s authority to
use command and control mechanisms to regulate
greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) into the future, with
little consideration given to the costs of that measure
to California’s citizens, consumers and economy. SB 32
was opposed by the agriculture industry and the larger
job creation community in California because it did not
attempt to balance its mandate with its economic impacts.
AB 398 finds this balance by creating a market-based
mechanism that allows food processors regulated under
SB 32 to meet their compliance obligations for reducing
GHGs in a cost-effective manner. Almond Alliance as
well as other ag organizations supported the bill.
Additionally, AB 398:
• Develops a Compliance Offset Protocol Task Force
to create new offset opportunities in California,
including in the agricultural industry;
• Improves accountability of the California Air
Resources Board by mandating additional oversight
including an annual economic impact report by the
Legislative Analyst’s Office;
• Prioritizes spending of the Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Fund by creating a specific order of
projects, starting with reducing air pollutants
from stationary and mobile sources, sustainable
agriculture and short-lived climate pollutants.
This includes increased funding for diesel motor
replacements and funding for adoption of lower
emission almond harvest equipment.
Labor Issues
AB 450 remains one of the most contentious bills
with employers being placed in a lose-lose situation
between Federal and State authorities pertaining to
immigration enforcement at the workplace. Under
this bill employers are required to police immigration
activity by being mandated to report it to the Labor
Commissioner. If they fail to do so, they will face a
minimum $2,000 fine and up to $10,000 for each
violation. This unnecessarily penalizes employers that
otherwise made no violation of the law and chose to
comply with federal enforcement activity that is outside
of their control. AB 450 is currently pending on the
Senate floor and if approved, will be sent back to the
Assembly for concurrence on the amendments.
Last year, the legislature enacted SB 3 mandating
an increase of the minimum wage for hourly workers
and provided a minimum salary for all exempt,
salaried employees. This year, AB 1565 unnecessarily
accelerates pay increases for salaried, exempt
employees in California by creating a $3,700
increase per salaried employee for businesses with
25 or fewer employees in 2018. Employers with 26 or
more employees will face an increase of $1,723 per
employee. This substantial increase will affect those
small businesses who are already struggling with other
recent labor and employment mandates.
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A L M O N D F A C T S
