Last Wednesday, the California Chamber of Commerce hosted a series of panels to discuss the state’s top policy issues and priorities with leading experts that included California Senators Tom Umberg and Christopher Cabaldon, and Assemblymembers Jose Luis Solache and Greg Wallis.
The event brought together chambers of commerce from throughout California and featured three panel discussions, all moderated by CalChamber Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff for Policy Ben Golombek: a legislator policy panel; a policy update panel featuring CalChamber policy advocates; and a political update panel featuring experts in communications and political strategy.
Legislator Policy Panel
The first panel on the agenda was the “Legislator Policy Panel,” featuring California Senators Tom Umberg and Christopher Cabaldon, and Assemblymembers Jose Luis Solache and Greg Wallis.
Affordability was the No. 1 issue that legislators said is on everyone’s priority list.
Wallis pointed to affordability concerns and wide support of Proposition 36 for many of the political upsets seen in California this last election cycle. Voters are worried about how they will afford to pay for everyday necessities like gas and rent, he said.
Cabaldon and Solache agreed, with Solache noting that voters are frustrated with the lack of progress in addressing pocketbook issues and some feel like California’s lawmakers are not going to deliver what they say they’re going to deliver on.
Cabaldon pointed to California’s Master Plan for Higher Education, noting how the program is admired throughout the world, but the state has not delivered on its original promise. He said career pipelines should be adopted and integrated that allow for apprenticeships and internships.
In addition to housing and affordability, Umberg said another top priority will be fire and wildfire recovery. But probably the issue the Senate Judiciary will spend most of its time on, he said, is artificial intelligence (AI). He brought up the recent announcement of The Stargate Project and expressed concern that the federal government may try to move AI’s center of gravity from California to Texas.
CalChamber Policy Update
The second panel on the agenda was the CalChamber Policy Update panel, featuring CalChamber Vice President of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Adam Regele, Senior Policy Advocate Ashley Hoffman and Policy Advocate Ronak Daylami.
Hoffman and Daylami recounted some of the top bills they worked on in the legislature last year and shared some of the issues they expect to see this year.
In the labor and employment area, Hoffman anticipates childcare costs to be discussed this year and hopes to work on solutions that do not involve a mandate for employers to pay toward childcare costs. In the AI and privacy area, Daylami expects to see more proposals that regulate AI, similar to last year’s SB 1047 (Wiener; D-San Francisco), which was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Regele reviewed AB 98 (J. Carrillo; D-Palmdale), a key bipartisan-supported bill signed into law last year that established rules for certain truck routes, warehouse design, and build standards for specified classes of warehouse development projects.
Political Update
The last panel featured:
- Anthony York, former communications director for Governor Newsom;
- Marva Diaz, California Target Book, and CEO of Marva Diaz Strategies;
- Joe Justin, former chief of staff to Assembly Minority Leader, and CEO of Gleeson Digital Strategies; and
- Stephanie Roberson, CEO of Stephanie Roberson Strategies, and co-editor of California Target Book.
Panelists touched on the November election and outcomes, agreeing that California voters feel the Democratic party is ignoring their concerns on affordability and crime.
Roberson pointed out that Progressive Democrats fought against Proposition 36, but the ballot measure was widely popular with voters and was the only proposition that won in every county. She sees the rise of a new class of Democrats that will offer practical solutions and focus on policies that align with voters.
York spoke on the dangers of new media and the spread misinformation. Misinformation regarding the recent wildfires in Los Angeles spread quickly through social media and YouTube and was even reposted by prominent politicians. Governor Newsom, York said, had to launch a fact-checking wildfire website, www.californiafirefacts.com, to try to counter erroneous claims circulated online.
When asked about the future of California’s political parties, Diaz stressed that candidates matter. And just like the media landscape is changing, so is the way that political campaigns are run. For example, consultants love mail, but people don’t like that method of communication anymore. Now, phone ads are the way to go.
Looking toward the 2026 governor’s race, Diaz said she doesn’t think a Republican or an Independent can win, but voters will be looking for a moderate pragmatic governor.
Diaz also urged chamber leaders to look out for and foster potential candidates to run for office. She recommends that chambers have a process in place that actively asks if there is anyone desiring to run for office. Anyone planning to run will need a lot of guidance and support, but local chambers are uniquely positioned to help create the next legislator in their district, she said.
