Advocacy Alerts

Following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week that his administration does not have authority to impose tariffs under a national security law, President Trump turned to a different mechanism as other federal agencies explained the timeline for ending the rejected tariffs.

The FixPAGA Coalition, first formed in 2021 to support needed reforms to California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), issued a statement this week after the release of draft regulations to modify the filings of claims with the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Last week, the Building an Affordable California Act campaign notified the California Secretary of State that it has surpassed the 25% signature threshold required to qualify the measure for the November 2026 ballot — reaching the milestone weeks ahead of schedule.

Last week, President Trump signed legislation that reauthorizes the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preference program through the end of the year. This was a part of the $1.2 trillion spending package that also reopened the government after a brief partial shutdown.

Sweeping changes to the screening requirements for visitors to the United States from certain countries could have a chilling effect on travel and communities that rely on tourism spending, the California Chamber of Commerce pointed out in a letter last week to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Last week, the California Law Revision Commission approved recommended legislative language to significantly amend the state’s antitrust law and create a new Single Firm Conduct policy.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has updated its pay data reporting resources. Covered employers should start thinking about their annual pay data reports — due May 13, 2026 — and take note of some changes to this year’s report.

State water officials last week announced a slight increase in water they expect to deliver to homes, businesses and farms this year but warned that dry weather could shape future allocation updates.

Legislation that failed to pass the house in which it was introduced last year had one last chance this month to continue moving.

The California Foundation for Commerce & Education (CFCE) announced last week the creation of the CalCEO Council, a new advisory group comprised of experienced business leaders using data-driven insights and real-world experience to offer achievable public policy proposals that will strengthen the state’s economy.

Reduced water availability ultimately affects jobs, economic activity and food supplies outside the area short of water, according to a study completed last year for the nation’s largest agricultural water district.

Following a meeting this week, representatives for the United States and Mexico reported “substantial progress” in their talks about bilateral trade relations and the upcoming joint review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA).