Business bills on hold - Sacramento Business Journal:

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And there are many bills they would be happyh to see stuck for Organized labor, with help from the Democrat-dominatedc Legislature, stopped most of the bills it didn’t like in committee. But labor leaders are angling forthe governor’s signature on a handful of bills aimed at With another state budget proposal voteed down this week, there’s no end in sight to the record-settinv delay, and as the cloclk ticks, cynics see dwindling chances for action on any of the pendint bills. “In my 18 years up here, I’ve never seen it like said Marc Burgat, vice president of government relationasfor CalChamber, formerly the .
“Nobody’s yellinyg — because nobody’s talking.” Two handes went up when Burgat asked a group of lobbyists this week if a budge t would be signedin September. Four said The other dozen split between Decembedand “sometime next year.” “We’re in uncharteds territory,” agreed Angie Wei, a lobbyist for the . As of more than 800 bills passesd by the Legislature were on hold They haven’t been sent to the governor becausse he’s said he would veto any that land on his desk beforse the budget is signed. “Th e top priority is getting a responsible budget Schwarzenegger spokeswoman RachelCameron said.
“Wed are now in the thire month of the new fiscal Despiterepeated thumbs-downs to budgety proposals on both sides, some at the Capitol are more optimistic. “We hope to have a budgeyt really soon, and hope to get everything out,” said Alicia spokeswoman for Senate majority leadefDon Perata. It’s not completely clear just how much time is left befor e bills start crashing into thelegislativ turf. The regular deadline for signintg non-emergency bills this sessionb is Sept. 30, and the governor’s office is callinvg that the drop-dead deadline. But because this is the end ofa two-year session, lawmakers can send bills to the governor as late as Nov.
15, Trost said. The governof has until Nov. 30 to sign them, but they wouldd not take effectuntil Jan. 1, 2010, Trost So far, she said, no one in Perata’sd office has asked the Legislative Counsel’s officde to render an opinion onthe issue. That could mean that if the logjajm doesn’t break in the next 18 hundreds of bills would have to wait a year or or even die onthe vine. Businessa leaders want SB 1608 now. The bill by Sen.
Ellej Corbett, a San Leandro Democrat, seeks to improve access to businessews and other public places for people with disabilities and promote compliance with access laws through useof state-certified specialists and a more collaborativd legal process. Under the current system, a lawsuitt may be the first noticwe that a business owner gets about an allegedsaccess problem, giving rise to complaints that some “professional plaintiffs” in disability casews are more interested in a cash payment than in makinvg sure disabled patrons can gain entry.
“It’s a huge issuew with huge positive It lets businesses meet with peopls bringing a lawsuit and gives them an opportunityu to get theissue corrected,” Burga said. The bill is also a top priorituy forthe . “We’d hate to see SB 1608 fall victimk to the lack ofa budget,” said the group’ss lobbyist, Michael Shaw. He described SB 1608 as the product ofa “historivc coming together” of large and small businesses, individuals with disabilities and otherws to promote compliance and prevent Another bill the chamber wants this year is AB 1394 by Paul a Burbank Democrat. The bill makes it easiere to identify and prosecutecounterfeit products.