News
Torrance Chamber Opposed Bill Moves to Governor’s Desk for Signature
SB 1383 (Jackson; D-Santa Barbara), a bill that the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce strongly opposed is now headed to the Governor’s desk for signature. A coalition of chamber members met with Assembly member Muratsuchi to express their opposition to this bill: a one-click opposition letter was utilized by chamber members and Donna Duperron, President & CEO testified at a Capitol hearing. When legislators voted on the bill this past Monday, Assembly member Muratsuchi cast his vote to support SB 1383.

“With such a small work force, every person is vital to the success of the business. When one person is out, another must fill their spot immediately to reduce the risk of closure. This will be extremely difficult to cover and keep the business culture moving forward,” stated Vince Giuliano, Gaetano’s Restaurant.
Chamber Partners with BizFed and Other Organizations to Oppose Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Motion
Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors moved forward with their overreaching motion to create "Public Health Councils" comprised of employees at their work sites to monitor compliance.

All five supervisors voted in favor of the motion - which directs the Department of Public Health to create an implementation plan by September 29. The motion also asks the department to incorporate a phased-in approach that prioritizes sectors-based outbreaks and increased stakeholder engagement. 
Read the motion here. Read full article here.
Households May Receive Follow-Up Visits From 2020 Census Takers
With door-to-door visits by census takers now underway, the U.S. Census Bureau is informing households that they may also receive a follow-up visit to ensure everyone is counted in the 2020 Census. So far, 64.9% of all housing units have responded online, by phone or by mail, and another 17.5% have been counted by census takers and other field data collection operations. In total, over 82.4% of all housing units throughout the nation have been accounted for in the 2020 Census as of Aug. 30. The Census Bureau is working to count the remaining households—about 1 in every 5 households across the nation. Read more here.
IRS Issues Guidelines to President’s Payroll Tax Deferral Order
The U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidelines to President Donald Trump’s payroll tax deferral executive order on Friday night. The executive order applies to the 6.2% Social Security payroll tax normally deducted from an employee’s pay and would affect workers whose biweekly pay is less than $4,000 on a pretax basis. The determination of whether the deferral applies is to be made on a paycheck to paycheck basis. Read more here.
California’s Charts New and Slower Course On Reopening
With the hope of preventing another virus surge, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new process Friday for reopening businesses that’s more gradual than the first attempt that eventually led him to close many businesses soon after they reopened.The four-tiered, color-coded system ranks counties based on the number of virus cases and infection rates. Businesses can add more customers or open more services as their county moves into lower tiers. Read More Here
California OKs Extension Of COVID-19 Moratorium On Evictions
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a five-month extension to measures aimed at preventing millions of tenants from being thrown out of housing for missing rent due to hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3088 into law late Monday after last-minute wrangling in the California Legislature that tried to balance the demands of both landlord and tenant advocacy groups. Read more here.
Los Angeles Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund Grows to More than $100 Million to Boost Microentrepreneurs, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits
Los Angeles area businesses and nonprofits face significant challenges during the current public health and economic crisis of COVID-19. Thousands of those businesses will now be eligible to receive critical financial assistance thanks to $100 million of additional funding which will greatly increase the impact of the Los Angeles Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, a joint effort by the County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, and philanthropic partners. Learn more here.
Affordable and Effective Advertising with the Chamber
Looking for a way to announce your services and offers to the Torrance Area community? Let the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce help you with that! The Chamber offers a marketing eBlast that reaches 3,550+ professionals within the area to help you get the word out about your business. This eBlast opportunity, called Member Minute, includes your full-color digital flyer, website link and your social media links - all for only $50.00. If you would like to learn more about the details and specs, please Click Here. If you are interested in this opportunity, please email hannah@torrancechamber.com.
U.S. Labor Market Recovery Slowing; Economists Urge More Fiscal Stimulus
Though new COVID-19 infections have subsided after a broad resurgence through the summer, many hot spots remain, especially at college campuses that have reopened for in-person learning. With the fiscal stimulus ebbing, signs are growing that the economy’s recovery is slowing. Economists still expect a sharp rebound in growth this quarter but dialing back estimates for the fourth quarter. Read more here.
‘Game changer’ in CA Coronavirus Testing to Double Capacity & Speed Up Results
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state will soon more than double its coronavirus testing capacity, a move that at least one legislator described as a “game changer” in the state’s pandemic response. The state will partner with the Massachusetts-based diagnostics company PerkinElmer, which will allow the state to conduct and process an additional 150,000 tests a day with expedited test results in 24 to 48 hours. Read more here.

Way Back Wednesday
During the month of September, residents and businesses join together each year for Coastal Clean-up at Torrance Beach. Although this event will not occur this year, we thought we would share a photo from the 2017 Coast Clean Up.
Upcoming Virtual Events
Click On The Event To Register








New Member
Renewing Members
...Thank You!
Office Depot Rewards Program
As a member of Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce, you are entitled to savings at Office Depot store. Discounts vary on items and services, but they do add up and you can save a significant amount annually on 175 most frequently needed items. Just another benefit of the membership! To enjoy this, Contact Us Here.
The Chamber helps businesses reach their full potential. Click Here to Join!