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Serving the San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, San Fernando, and Santa Clarita
Valley Industry & Commerce Association vica.com
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- VICA Advocates at California Senate Appropriations
- VICA Advocates for California's Healthcare Industry at AQMD
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Harmon Ballin Nominations are Still Open
- Nominate a Future VICA Board Member
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Quick Jump - Register to Attend!
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"We deserve to know how Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's (LAHSA) resources meant to address homelessness are allocated. Having access to data and information helps us make informed policy decisions on how to best allocate our funds and resources."
Councilmember Traci Park (CD-11)
Statement on Requesting Clearer LAHSA Budget Reporting
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VICA Advocates for Pro-Business Legislation at California Senate Appropriations Hearings | | |
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On Monday and Friday, VICA called in to the Senate Appropriations Committee to advocate for and against over 30 state bills. Below are some of the high priority bills we have advocated on this session. | |
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Senate Bill 799 (Portantino): Unemployment Insurance:
Trade Disputes: Eligibility for Benefits
VICA submitted a letter in opposition to Senate Bill 799, which seeks to give striking workers the ability to claim unemployment after two weeks of striking. This bill would essentially force employers to subsidize striking workers, even if those workers or labor strikes had nothing to do with the employer.
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Assembly Bill 7 (Friedman): Transportation: Planning:
Project Selection Processes
VICA called in to oppose Assembly Bill 7, which seeks to mandate the incorporation of the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) principles into existing guidelines and planning processes lacks the necessary clarity and scope. The ambiguity of this bill could lead to unintended negative consequences for our state's already congested transportation systems, including moving any highway improvements within California to the bottom of the project priority list.
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Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1 (Aguiar-Curry):
Local Government Financing: Voter Approval
VICA submitted a letter in opposition of Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1, which would lower the necessary voter threshold from a two-thirds majority to 55 percent to approve local general obligations bonds and special taxes for special projects. This proposal must be defeated to ensure all proposals that can have significant economic impacts are overwhelmingly supported by the community, and to minimize opportunities for local officials to increase their residents' tax rates.
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Senate Bill 525 (Durazo): Minimum Wage: Health Care Workers
VICA submitted a letter in opposition of Assembly Bill 525, which would implement a statewide $25 minimum wage for health care employees. Increasing wages by targeting the healthcare industries could increase costs and jeopardize access to care for all residents. These types of policies only serve to deepen existing disparities, rather than helping our struggling communities.
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Assembly Bill 52 (Grayson): Income Tax Credit:
Manufacturing Equipment
VICA called in to support Assembly Bill 52, which will provide a tax credit for manufacturing and research-and-development (R&D) equipment purchases, investments, and production opportunities in California.
AB 52 will make California competitive with the 38 states that already provide manufacturers either tax exemptions or incentives on equipment, and will allow California to offer more opportunities for growth, innovation, and high-quality jobs that come from increased investments in California manufacturing.
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Today is the deadline for all State Assembly and Senate Committee meetings before bills move to the Assembly and Senate Floor for a final vote. VICA will continue to advocate for pro-business policies as the legislature enters its final few weeks of the session. | |
VICA Advocates Against Unnecessary Bans at AQMD | |
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On Friday, VICA voiced concerns at the South Coast Air Quality Management District meeting regarding AQMD's proposal to limit the use of Ethylene Oxide Emissions (EtO), which is a critical component of the healthcare supply chain that ensures safe, sterile usage of medical devices and equipment.
Approximately 50% of all medical devices are sterilized with EtO, including surgical instrument kits, heart valves, stents, syringes, and more basic instruments like wound dressings. For many of these devices, there is no alternative option to keep them safe.
Sterilizers have an established role within the healthcare and business ecosystems, sterilizing over 100 million products annually. Disruptions to this process caused by stringent regulations could significantly diminish California's position as a leader in medical device sterilization, restricting patient access in the process.
Prioritizing patient access to critical treatments, preserving the integrity of the healthcare supply chain, and avoiding conflicts with federal EPA practices should be of paramount concern to the Board, which is why so many different stakeholders are concerned about the proposal.
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LAST CHANCE TO NOMINATE: Harmon Ballin Community Service Award | |
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VICA's Harmon Ballin Community Service Award annually honors an active VICA member who has made an outstanding contribution to our community through their long-term community service activities. A nominee is someone who:
- Has been an active member of VICA and is actively engaged in the organization.
- Has significant and long-term involvement in philanthropic, community, or public service organizations or a significant record in this area.
- Is a role model and community leader.
All nominee forms must be submitted via email to Daniel@vica.com by Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
Some past honorees include: Stu Solomon, Walt Mosher, Fred Gaines, Jim Garrison, Kevin Tamaki, Greg Lippe, Brad Rosenheim, Francine Oschin, Pegi Matsuda, Ross Pendergraft, Jane Skeeter, Lee Alpert, Darnell Tyler, Mark Davis and Scott Mills.
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LAST CHANCE TO NOMINATE: 2024 VICA Board Being Accepted Now | |
City of Calabasas Mayor David Shapiro swears in 2023 Board of Directors | |
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VICA's 2024 Board of Directors nomination and selection process is underway and we want your nominations!
Board members must be able to attend regular board meetings and be prepared to vote on various public policy issues. Board members must also attend regular committee meetings and VICA events. Additional responsibilities may include calling or writing lawmakers, attending press conferences, testifying, authoring editorials, interacting with top opinion leaders, and more.
If you or someone you know is interested in participating on the VICA Board in 2024, please don't hesitate to click on the nomination form below and submit via email to Jessica@vica.com by Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
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VICA After Dark: LA City Councilmember John Lee
September 26 | 5:30 PM
Anheuser-Busch
John Lee was first elected to the Los Angeles City Council during a special election in August 2019, and re-elected to his first full term in March 2020. John's extensive understanding of the City’s legislative and budget processes and day-to-day operations gives him tremendous insight into what works and what doesn’t at City Hall. With an agenda focused on public safety, supporting local businesses, and providing core city services, John is committed to putting the neighborhoods of the Twelfth District first.
VICA thanks our host and presenting sponsor Anheuser-Busch, presenting sponsor SoCalGas, and co-sponsors California State University, Northridge and California Strategies.
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Business Forecast Conference: Flamin' Hot Topics
Friday, October 27 | 7:00 AM
Hilton Universal City
Our Annual Business Forecast Conference continues to attract nationally recognized experts on our region's dynamic economy. This forecast will help our business leaders plan for the challenges facing us in 2023.
VICA thanks our Presenting Sponsor, SoCalGas.
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Local Officeholders Luncheon
November 9 | 11:30 AM
Skirball Cultural Center
Local Officeholders representing Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, and other Valley cities join VICA and its members to discuss the pertinent issues facing businesses during the annual Local Officeholders event. Attendees have the opportunity to formally ask questions on a wide range of topics.
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Sports, Entertainment, Tourism & Hospitality Committee
Wednesday, September 6
8:30 - 10:00 AM
At the VICA Office
Sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal
RSVP
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Energy, Environment, Manufacturing & Utilities Committee
Thursday, September 7
Noon - 1:30 PM
At the VICA Office
Sponsored by Metropolitan Water District
RSVP
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Transportation Committee
Tuesday, September 12
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Hosted by The Garland
RSVP
International Trade Committee
Thursday, September 14
8:30 - 10:30 AM
At the VICA Office
RSVP
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Healthcare Committee
Wednesday, September 13
Noon - 1:30 PM
At the VICA Office
Sponsored by Hospital Association of Southern California and PacFed
RSVP
Government Affairs Committee
Wednesday, September 20
Noon - 2:00 PM
At the VICA Office
RSVP
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VICA Thanks Our New and Renewing Members! | | |
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Platinum Members:
Renewing Members:
New Members:
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McConnell Leadership in Question
There are growing concerns about Senator Mitch McConnell's health after the Senate Minority Leader appeared to freeze for a second time recently during a press conference on Wednesday, sparking calls for him to resign on social media. McConnell was addressing reporters in Kentucky when he stopped talking and was led away from the podium. Later, senior aides said he felt lightheaded. House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed McConnell is "unfit for office."
A Change in CA Senate Leadership
Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins announced Monday that she will step down from her post at the end of next year, with North Coast Democrat Senator Mike McGuire stepping in to lead the party. Atkins cannot seek re-election because of term limits and must leave the Senate at the end of next year. She said the caucus chose to announce the transition now because a long, drawn-out successor campaign would not be in the best interest of the Senate or the people we were elected to represent.
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187,000 Jobs Added in August
The nation's employers added 187,000 jobs in August, evidence of a slowing but resilient labor market despite the high-interest rates the Federal Reserve has imposed. The job growth marked an increase from July's revised gain of 157,000 but still pointed to a moderating place of hiring compared with earlier this year. From June through August, the economy has added 449,000 jobs, the lowest three-month total in three years.
Lots of Travel over Labor Day Weekend
Southern Californians planning out-of-town excursions during Labor Day weekend could expect a lot of travel companions. AAA's domestic bookings for flights, hotels, and cars are up 4%, compared to last year's Labor Day holiday, and international bookings have increased by 44%. More than 1.1 million passengers are expected to traverse through Los Angeles International Airport between August 31 and September 4th. This year's peak travel days represent about 92% of the passenger volume compared to March 2019 and about a 12% hike compared to last year.
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Join our partners at #UNITELA on Sept. 29! Don’t miss out as they bring together the most influential leaders to advance economic mobility and well-being for all Angelenos! Celebrate the next #25YearOfImpact and beyond! RSVP today 👉 unitela.com/25. Will we see you there? #UNITELA25 | |
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Member Messages
Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!
VICA members can promote their business, events and news in VICA Weekly. Member messages are available for $50 per week or $175 for four weeks. Messages are text-based and may not contain more than 70 words. A logo may be added for an additional $5 per week. For more information or to schedule your member message, contact yoko@vica.com or call (818) 817-0545.
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ABOUT VICA
Presenting the business perspective on behalf of employers in the
San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas,
Hidden Hills, San Fernando and Santa Clarita.
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