CalChamber Urges Members to Vote Today

The California Chamber of Commerce is urging its members to vote in today’s Primary Election.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In order to be counted, personally delivered ballots must be returned to an elections official in the voter’s county of residence no later than 8 p.m. today. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before June 5, 2018 and received by the voter’s county elections office no later than June 8, 2018, according to the website of the Secretary of State.

Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county elections office no later than 3 days after Election Day. If you are not sure your vote-by-mail ballot will arrive in time if mailed, bring it to your county elections office on or before Election Day or to any polling place in your county between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Sharing Information With Employees

Employers are within their rights to communicate with employees about issues, regulations, legislation or ballot measures that will have an impact on the workplace, jobs, the economy and the employees themselves.

But employers may not take certain actions: no paycheck stuffers; no coercion; no rewarding or punishing employees (or threatening to do so) for their political activities or beliefs.

CalChamber prepared this brochure to provide more guidelines for employers on political communications to employees. Note the distinction between internal communications (to employees, stockholders and their families) and communications to external audiences (such as non-stockholder retirees, outside vendors, customers or passersby).

CalChamber’s convenient all-in-one California and Federal Employment Notices Poster contains all required California and Federal notices including the Time Off to Vote notice. CalChamber members can read more about Voting Leave Explained in the HR Library.

CalChamber Positions

Proposition 68: Support

Authorizes Bonds Funding Parks, Natural Resources Protection, Climate Adaptation, Water Quality and Supply, and Flood Protection.

Authorizes $4 billion in general obligation bonds for: parks, natural resources protection, climate adaptation, water quality and supply, and flood protection.

Placed on Ballot by: Legislature.

CalChamber Position: Support

Reasons for Position

The CalChamber Board voted to support the measure because it will provide funds for: groundwater cleanups that improve water quality; flood protection and repair; clean drinking water projects; and parks in urban and disadvantaged communities.

More Information: www.yes68ca.com

Proposition 69: Support

Requires that Certain New Transportation Revenues Be Used for Transportation Purposes. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Requires that certain revenues generated by a 2017 transportation funding law be used only for transportation purposes and generally prohibits Legislature from diverting funds to other purposes.

Placed on Ballot by: Legislature.

CalChamber Position: Support

Reasons for Position

The CalChamber Board voted to endorse this measure to add protections for the new transportation revenues approved under CalChamber-supported SB 1 (Beall; D-San Jose; Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017), which enacted the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

More Information: YesProp69.com

Proposition 70: Support

Requires Legislative Supermajority Vote Approving Use of Cap-and-Trade Reserve Fund. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Beginning in 2024, requires that cap-and-trade revenues accumulate in a reserve fund until the Legislature, by a two-thirds majority, authorizes use of the revenues.

Placed on Ballot by: Legislature.

CalChamber Position: Support

Reasons for Position

The CalChamber Board voted to support this measure because it will encourage bipartisan support for a cap-and-trade expenditure plan and allow for a process to negotiate expenditures that furthers the goals of the Legislature as a whole.

More Information: www.calchamber.com/ballot

Proposition 71: Support

Sets Effective Date for Ballot Measures. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Provides that ballot measures approved by a majority of voters shall take effect five days after the Secretary of State certifies the results of the election.

Placed on Ballot by: Legislature.

CalChamber Position: Support

Reasons for Position

The CalChamber Board voted to support the measure because allowing initiatives and referenda to go into effect before the vote has been certified by the Secretary of State can create confusion and even the erroneous implementation of new law.

More Information: kevin.mullin@asm.ca.gov

Proposition 72: Support

Permits Legislature to Exclude Newly Constructed Rain-Capture Systems from Property-Tax Reassessment Requirement. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.

Permits Legislature to allow construction of rain-capture systems, completed on or after January 1, 2019, without requiring property-tax reassessment.

Placed on Ballot by: Legislature.

CalChamber Position: Support

Reasons for Position

The CalChamber Board voted to support Proposition 72 because rain water recapture systems are an effective means of conserving water that should be encouraged.

More Information: SaveCaWater.org

More Information

For more detailed information about the CalChamber’s positions, visit www.calchamber.com/ballot. For more voter information, visit the website of the secretary of state at www.sos.ca.gov.