TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT SMALL BUSINESSES FROM UNPRECEDENTED PAPERWORK REQUIREMENTS
Section 9006 of the Health Care Reform bill would place an unprecedented burden on small business reporting and paperwork requirements. This provision would require any business that purchases more than $600 of goods or services from another business to submit a 1099 tax form to the Internal Revenue Service. Take action today by urging Senators Feinstein and Boxer to repeal this mandate by voting yes on the Johanns amendment to the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010 (HR 5297) and no on the Nelson amendment to the same bill. Contact Samuel Garrison, 213.580.7568.

Herbalife Chairman and CEO shares his vision of leadership
Herbalife Chairman and CEO Michael O. Johnson met with more than 80 Chamber members at Thursday's Occidental Petroleum Power Hour Series. Johnson,who joined the company in 2003, shared his strategies for achieving double-digit sales growth over the past five years, which included focusing on four priorities: the product, business opportunities, the brand and social awareness. "We have a role to play in promoting a healthy lifestyle and making this community a better place to live and work," said Johnson. He also detailed how the company focuses on making lives better -- not only those of its distributors, but also for people around the world. "Wealth follows health," Johnson added. Contact Pat Clark, 213.580.7595

Take action on behalf of education
Join the Chamber in urging Gov. Schwarzenegger to sign three Chamber-sponsored education bills. AB 1223 (Block) will support teacher knowledge, development and implementation of applied learning strategies in the classroom. AB 2211 (Fuentes) would establish quality work-based learning opportunities for students by promoting more partnerships between local education agencies and employers across the State. SB 1143 (Liu) will require the California Community Colleges Board of Governors to adopt a plan for improving student success. Contact Sonia Rivera, 213.580.7538 or visit the Chamber's Jobs Advocacy Center.

Bill to move California's kindergarten start date and save education dollars progresses
SB 1381 (Simitian), which would move up the starting date for kindergarten and annually provide about 120,000 of our State's children with invaluable extra time in high-quality early education programs was passed out of the Legislature on Aug. 31 and is now pending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature. If signed, the bill's "transitional kindergarten" could save the State money by not only reducing grade retention, but also by reducing the number of children receiving special education services. In total, this bill could save the State more than $49.7 million when fully implemented. Contact Sonia Rivera, 213.580.7538.

Jobs increase at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Thanks to the recent surge in cargo volume, 11 of the 13 major terminals in the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach will extend operating hours, adding late-night and weekend shifts. With the extension of hours, shippers will now have service from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Read more. Want your good news featured here? Click here to learn more.