Law & Order

California Governor Vetoes Bill to Require Small Business Representative on Air Resources Board

Despite being approved by bipartisan and overwhelming majorities in the California Assembly and Senate, legislation that would have given small-business owners a voice on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Introduced by Assemblymember Curt Hagman, who represents the Diamond Bar district in which SEMA headquarters is located, the bill would have created a requirement for one CARB member to be an owner within the past five years of a small business. CARB is a department within the California Environmental Protection Agency that is charged with the task of attaining and maintaining healthy air quality, protecting the public from exposure to toxic air contaminants and issuing air pollution rules and regulations. The SEMA-supported measure recognized that the regulations issued by the Board directly affect small businesses and would have ensured that the rights of small-business owners were represented. 

For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.