Blogs of the LA Area Chamber

As the 14th largest economy, the Los Angeles region has one of the most vibrant economies in the world. One key component of our region’s economic success is global trade. In 2021, Los Angeles exports totaled $27 billion dollars, making it the 18th largest exporter in the United States.

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One-third of California residents, more than 13 million people, receive health coverage through Medi-Cal. It’s an essential program for low-income individuals and families, most of whom are people of color. However, Medi-Cal is severely underfunded, and its low base rates make it difficult to find providers willing to serve this population.

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As a regional Chamber, we have closely monitored the impact the pandemic has had on our businesses but also our communities. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) released its highly anticipated Point-In-Time Homeless Count last Thursday. L.A. County has not had this data available since 2020 due to the pandemic. The numbers released give us a better picture of how the community at large’s work has been effectively addressing homelessness. You can read the 2022 Greater LA Homeless Count report here.

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This week I traveled to Lawrence, Kansas for the memorial services of Gary Toebben, former president and CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. I was joined by several attendees from Los Angeles; including Chamber staff, Board members, and former Board Chairs.

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Mayor Eric Garcetti celebrated Women’s Equality Day with an executive order to increase access to procurement opportunities with the City of Los Angeles for women owned businesses.

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In a region where 94% of businesses have less than 20 employees, one of the most powerful economic development tools at our disposal is the multi-billion-dollar annual procurement spend.

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Health Net is one of California’s longest serving Medi-Cal partners. That’s why the company is working with the state to transform Medi-Cal. California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) is the state’s long-term commitment to offer California’s most vulnerable residents a more equitable, coordinated and person-centered approach to a healthier life.

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This year marked the start of a two-year legislative session, which meant tighter deadlines for two-year bills that had been idle the year prior. As the state's legislative year heads into its final month, the Chamber hit the ground running in advocating for the issues affecting our members and community, by voicing concerns over supply chain issues, highlighting limited procurement opportunities for small businesses, and other pressing legislation.

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This month, L.A. County Public Health Department signaled they were considering a reinstatement of the mask mandate, a move which would devastate businesses already struggling to emerge from the pandemic.

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In these lazy days of summer, our attention has been drawn to the flurry of activity in our nation’s capital with legislation on gun control, the January 6ᵗʰ hearings, and the Supreme Court issuing several final decisions. In the midst of this, the Chamber once again visited Washington D.C. to continue our advocacy work from our delegation visit earlier this year.

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