U.S. House Representative (D-CA 34th District)

This week, VICA advocated against AB 286, which would set a negative precedent and force private businesses to reveal confidential contractual information that could harm their competitiveness. VICA and the business community are very concerned with the potential harm the implementation of AB 286 as currently written could impose on businesses in the Valley.

AB 286 includes provisions to require restaurants and app-based platforms to disclose the terms of private, voluntary contracts that help them reach and grow their customer base to the public and their competitors, putting those restaurants and platforms at a competitive disadvantage. Further, AB 286 includes duplicative and unnecessary provisions like requiring all tips go to drivers when current law already requires 100% of tips to go to drivers.

During the pandemic, third-party food delivery services became vital to restaurants and merchants' survival, connecting them with their customers and helping complete orders. These services remain an essential part of the restaurant business community today. As written, AB 286 threatens app-based services, harming the very restaurants the bill is intended to help.

VICA will continue to advocate for policy that benefits the Valley's business community and sternly oppose policy that threatens it.

This week, VICA advocated against SB 12 unless amended, which

would seek to impose new fire regulations on land development and zoning. VICA and the business community are very concerned with the the provisions included within SB 12. This would not only impose

jurisdictions for increased development costs, but would also mandate the state not reimburse industries for the cost of adhering to the new zoning provisions.

SB 12 would also seek to establish greater regulations on homeowners’ maintenance of fire safety, providing stricter requirements on roof and structure development, yet without federal aid. Additionally, this bill would allow lower proportions of housing and other development within regions of high fire risk. By limiting access and development to specific regions, other regions will later become over-developed and overcrowding may form. This will inevitably lead to further congestion in low-risk areas, consequently turning them into higher risk areas as more development ensues.

SB 12 is an unnecessary land use regulation that severely limits the development of

new housing and ignores the success homebuilders have achieved in creating fire

resistant master plan communities. It will eliminate hundreds of thousands of new homes already approved and included in city and county plans, reducing future housing supply and driving up costs overnight. SB 12 will make it harder for low-income and middle-class families to purchase a home and make our homeless crisis even worse.

VICA will continue to monitor legislation that seeks to negatively and financially impact the business community.

This week, the LA County Department of Public Health will again require masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. This new mandate is due to increased COVID-19 numbers and concerns over the Delta Variant. This comes after the Health Department on June 28 started 'strongly recommending" that people wear masks indoors at public spaces.

This order is at odds with state and federal guidelines that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks indoors. This order is going to be similar to the requirements prior to June 15. The difference with this recent order is that people can still eat indoors, but will have to keep their masks on when they are not dining.

The order will be effective tomorrow night starting at 11:59 p.m. It is unclear how long the new mask mandate will be in effect and VICA will continue to monitor the situation and more details unfold.

Renewals:

Tuesday, July 20

12 to 1:30 p.m.

Virtual Event

Wednesday, July 21

Tuesday, July 27

Tuesday, July 27

12 to 1:30 p.m.

Virtual Remo Event

Thursday, August 5

9 to 10:30 a.m.

Virtual Event

Sponsored by The Garland

Sponsored by Mission Community Hospital

The Los Angeles County health officer has suggested that residents reconsider travel to states with the nation’s worst rates of coronavirus transmission, including Nevada and Florida.

The heat wave is expected to break into a gradual cooling trend beginning Tuesday, forecasters said.

“Today is going to be the last day of extreme heat,” said Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It’ll still be hot in those interior areas but likely not hot enough to have advisories.”

Consumer spending is returning to pre-pandemic levels, and borrowing appears poised to rise. Markets are cooling, but deal making is as hot as ever. Still, the recovery remains vulnerable, bank executives said. Covid-19 variants are driving up case counts, raising the specter of new lockdowns. Government-aid programs that kept many Americans afloat are about to expire.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has backed away from new health and safety requirements for public housing.

During a visit to Los Angeles on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona encouraged schools in California and elsewhere to help students heal after a school year that many spent in isolation.

“The reality is we’re coming out of a crisis,” he said. “Our kids are hurting. They need help now.”

Just a month ago, Los Angeles County and the rest of California celebrated a long-awaited reopening, marking the tremendous progress made in the battle against COVID-19 by lifting virtually all restrictions on businesses and other public spaces. Now, the coronavirus is resurgent, and the nation’s most-populous county is scrambling to beat back the pandemic’s latest charge.

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> Please share a brief biography and a fun fact about yourself that people would love to learn, ie: you love skydiving, you have run a marathon, you started your own business at a young age, etc. (2-3 sentences) 

> Tell us about your belief in VICA, how has VICA been most valuable for you? 

> If you were to share an experience with someone about VICA, what would that be? 

> Share with us what you believe to be the greatest accomplishment VICA has achieved?

> What was your organizations and/or your greatest accomplishment in 2020?

> Can you share what VICA has meant for you and your business during COVID?

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 cathy@vica.com or call (818) 817-0545.