Our Voice in Sacramento

by Maria S. Salinas

Los Angeles business, education and community leaders descended upon the state capital this week for our annual delegation trip, ACCESS Sacramento. Statewide administration officials, legislators, and public policy experts met with our delegation to provide briefings on a variety of statewide topics, including the state budget, housing, apprenticeship and workforce, energy transition readiness, and small business support.

Los Angeles represents a significant portion of California's economy, making it crucial for us to engage with policymakers statewide. Members of our delegation visited the offices of more than 25 members of the state legislature. Of the 140 seats in the state legislature, 31 were elected in the most recent election cycle, and in Los Angeles County alone, 39 state legislators make up the Los Angeles Delegation.

Our Sacramento visit provided Chamber members an opportunity to hear directly from policy makers and understand the implications of legislation. Some highlights included:

• Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon welcomed our delegation to Sacramento and shared his insights on legislative issues and the importance of having legislators hear from Los Angeles as well as the representation on commissions.
• We discussed housing affordability with Undersecretary Melinda Grant for the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, Chair of the Housing and Community Development Committee, who discussed housing legislation.
• The Legislative Analyst Office, which analyzes the state's revenues, briefed the delegation on the expected shortfall of $30 to $35 billion in the California Budget. The Governor's "May Revise" budget is expected on May 14th.

Now is the time to deepen our engagement with state policymakers. As legislation moves through the process, our state legislators require our input. We should not miss the chance to make our voices heard in Sacramento.