The last actions of the 2023 California legislative session took place on October 14th, which was the deadline for Governor Newsom to sign or veto legislation. SCGMA again had a highly effective legislative session pursuing industry measures, including furthering efforts to secure market share for union contractors on industrial facilities and updating contractors’ state licensing law to ensure contractors stay informed and properly licensed.
2023 was again a very challenging year regarding general employer legislation, due to the legislature’s continued push for employment laws that circumvent the sanctity of our industry collective bargaining agreements. Protecting the efficiencies provided within industry collective bargaining agreements, which allow union contractors to remain competitive, has become the highest priority when reviewing legislation. State mandated deviations from those pacts take away from the union construction industry’s ability to not only compete for work, but also recruit workers and organize contractors.
In reviewing the scorecard, you will see that much of our time and political effort goes into opposing measures that would have a negative effect on the industry. It is important to remember that both houses of California’s legislature have 2/3 democratic supermajorities, making it difficult to stop progressive and environmentally slanted bills that adversely impact our contractors. Despite that fact, SCGMA was again successful in defeating or amending numerous measures that would have been harmful to our contractors and the industry overall.
Enclosed is a summary of the key bills SCGMA took strong positions on this year and the outcome.
Click here to view the 2023 SCGMA Legislative Scorecard
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This content was provided by SCGMA professional counsel and is for general informational purposes only. Readers should contact their own professional counsel for company specific matters in the relevant jurisdiction.
The Government Relations Committee diligently reviews legislative bills and collaborates with our lobbyists year-around to better our industry. If anyone is interested in joining, reach out.