Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh

This bill prohibits construction of any new oil or gas wells within 3,200 feet of a "sensitive receptor" which includes everything from homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. Additionally, the bill requires existing wells in those areas to comply with additional light, sound and environmental regulations. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill will significantly reduce oil and gas extraction in the state, ultimately harming American energy production and the U.S. economy.

Limiting American Energy Production Through New Draconian Restrictions on Oil and Gas Well Placement.

This bill establishes a new pilot program within the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHSA) which provides additional taxpayer funding to primary care clinics that perform abortion and are located in five counties across different regions of the state. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as it is not the role of government to promote abortion and force payment from taxpayers to advance abortion (many of whom may have strong religious objections).

Channeling Tens of Millions of Additional Taxpayer Funds to Providers of Abortion in "Marginalized Communities".

This bill requires local agencies which permit groundwater wells to obtain written verification stating a proposed well will not "undermine sustainable groundwater management or cause well interference". This additional statewide mandate is expected to significantly raise costs for well applicants and potentially limit the ability of some landowners to utilize the groundwater beneath their property.  Oppose is the Limited Government Position as well drilling is already regulated at the local level and this additional state-wide regulatory barrier places significant costs onto businesses and may provide favor to certain landowners while infringing the property rights of others.

Weakening Property Rights by Placing Costly and Excessive Regulatory Barriers to Drill New Groundwater Wells.

This bill makes it much easier for union leaders to unionize agricultural workers across the state's 30,000 farms. Specifically, the bill authorizes usage of a "card check" system which allows leaders to publicly pressure workers into unionizing, as opposed to the existing "secret ballot voting" system.  Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this measure will subject agricultural workers to significant new levels of intimidation and harassment to unionize by labor leaders. Measures such as this highlight the importance of "Right to Work" legislation, which protects the ability of individuals to work without joining a labor union.

Hiking Consumer Costs and Empowering Union Leaders by Unionizing the Agricultural Industry through a Card-Check System.

This bill establishes the "Electric Bicycle Incentive Project" to provide vouchers to income-eligible individuals to purchase e-bikes at certain retailers. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as not only do measures such as this provide competitive advantages to government-favored companies, and further hike taxpayer costs, but also disincentivize advancement and grow government dependency by expanding the welfare state.

Growing Government Dependency by Providing Electric Bicycle Vouchers to Certain Individuals Based on Income.

The "Digital Financial Assets Law" creates a new licensing and regulatory framework for digital financial assets under the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. A range of products including cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies and electronic precious metals would now be subject to state regulation. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the federal government is already attempting to regulate these products, and there is a serious risk that regulations imposed at any level government could threaten innovation within this industry. It is critical to protect this industry from overregulation as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies play a crucial role as a safeguard against the reckless policies of the Federal Reserve.

Threatening Innovation by Imposing a New Licensing Regime on a Range of Digital and Crypto Financial Assets.

The "California Climate Crisis Act" legally binds the state to its goal of "net-zero" carbon by 2045, and maintain and achieve negative greenhouse gas emissions in the years following. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill further cements the state to its disastrous environmental agenda, which will stifle economic growth and lead to sky-rocketing prices for businesses and consumers.

Stifling Economic Growth by Codifying the State's Disastrous 2045 "Net-Zero" Carbon Goal.

The "Voiding Inequality and Seeking Inclusion for Our Immigrant Neighbors Act" prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from transferring illegal immigrants who committed crimes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon completing their sentences at correctional facilities.  Oppose is the Limited Government Position as protecting property rights and ensuring public safety serve as essential components of government. Measures such as this threaten national security by obstructing the ability of federal authorities to monitor and deport dangerous individuals residing in the country unlawfully.

Threatening National Security by Prohibiting Illegal Immigrants who Committed Crimes from Being Transferred to ICE Upon their Release from Prison.

Beginning in 2024, this bill requires all children to attend kindergarten prior to entering first grade, which was previously optional. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill removes decision making from parents, who are best equipped to make decisions regarding their child's education.

Weakening Parental Rights by Mandating Kindergarten Attendance for All Children.

This bill replaces the partial sales tax exemption for manufacturing equipment and research and development with a full sales tax exemption through 2028. This exemption covers items such as machinery, computers and special purpose buildings used for manufacturing or research and development. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as all state and local tax codes should be constructed in a broadly applied manner with as low of rates as possible for everyone. The central planning and tax cronyism enacted under this measure provides special benefits and advantages to the manufacturing industry while shifting tax burdens to all other industries and companies that do not share the same business model. Instead, lawmakers should instead utilize the $500 million in tax savings to provide a broad tax cut across all industries, which will allow the free market to provide far greater job and business growth.

Increasing Tax Burdens on Other Individuals and Businesses through an Expansion of Sales Tax Exemptions for Research and Development and the Manufacturing Sector.

This bill establishes the "Birthing Justice for California Families Pilot Project", which funds community-based doula groups to provide services to individuals who are otherwise not eligible under the state's Medicaid system. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this measure further increases government dependency under a state system that already provides benefits to a substantial portion of the population through Medi-Cal. Lawmakers should instead work to reduce barriers for charitable organizations to direct aid and assistance to those that truly need it, not expand the ineffective welfare state.

Forcing Taxpayers to Fund Additional Doula Services Through the Creation of the "Birthing Justice for California Families Pilot Project".

The "Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act" or "FAST Recovery Act," establishes a 10 member fast food council made up of appointees by the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly and Senate rules committee. The council would have power to set minimum wages, working hours and various other labor standards and regulations.  Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill provides far overreaching powers to a group of individuals who are not accountable to voters. Additionally, the bill drives up consumer costs by subjecting business to unreasonable demands by labor unions.

Subjecting Restaurants to Unreasonable Labor Union Demands through the Creation of an Unaccountable "Fast Food Council" to Impose Regulations.

This bill requires the boards of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System to divest of their holdings in all fossil fuel companies by July 1, 2030. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill potentially sacrifices higher investment returns for taxpayers in order to advance a politicized environmental agenda. All state investments should be conducted in a manner to provide taxpayers with the greatest returns based on risk, and not be based on politicized Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) principles.

Harming Taxpayers and Reducing Investment Returns within the Public Employee Pension System by Mandating Divestment from Fossil Fuel Companies.

This bill establishes the "Housing California Challenge Program" to provide $5 billion in direct rental assistance over the next 5 years to individuals who are at risk of homelessness. This program is in addition to a number of other state programs, and funding under the bill may be utilized to help individuals locate and obtain housing as well as for long-term rental assistance.  Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill serves as yet another measure which traps individuals into poverty by disincentivizing advancement and growing government dependency. Additionally, the bill's $5 billion in subsidies will merely bid up the market prices of existing rental units, thus worsening the state's housing affordability crisis and likely leading to additional homelessness and government dependency.

Increasing Government Dependency and Housing Market Costs through a New $5 Billion Housing Assistance Spending Program.

The "Small Business Procurement and Contract Act" establishes a 25% small business target for infrastructure contracts issued through the $14 billion the state received under the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as all government contracting and procurement decisions should be based strictly on factors relating to cost and quality. Contracting quotas and mandates such as this bill merely restrict competition and unnecessarily drive-up taxpayer costs, while also potentially reducing project quality and timeliness.

Hiking Taxpayer Costs through an Additional Small Business Procurement Mandate for Infrastructure Projects.

This bill bans the use of carbon dioxide fluid (collected through carbon capture technologies) from being utilized in oil extraction. This fluid serves as a helpful solvent in promoting oil flow. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill serves as yet another unnecessary barrier towards American energy production, ultimately harming the entire U.S. economy through higher energy costs.

Hindering Energy Production through a Prohibition on "Concentrated Carbon Dioxide Fluid" for Oil Extraction.

The "Buy American Food Act" places more stringent domestic procurement requirements on California public schools and universities concerning their agricultural food purchases. Previous law required institutions to procure only domestically grown and processed foods unless the cost was greater than 5% of the non-domestic alternative. This bill now requires the non-domestic alternative to be at least 25% more costly, which is estimated to cost taxpayers an additional $1.9 billion. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill is largely designed to enrich California agricultural producers and labor unions, while unnecessarily punishing taxpayers who will be forced to bear the higher costs. The bill also directly violates the limited government principles of free trade and markets.

Increasing Taxpayer Costs by Worsening Protectionist Agricultural Procurement Mandates Placed on Schools and Universities.

This bill, modeled after the Texas law allowing anyone to file lawsuits alleging violations of abortion laws, allows anyone to sue another individual who constructs, transports or offers for sale a firearm banned by the state, such as an "assault weapon" or unserialized firearm. Like the Texas law, the bill offers bounties of at least $10,000 for prevailing claimants. fi. The bill even includes language that the provisions will become inoperative if the Texas statute is struck down by the Texas Supreme Court or U.S. Supreme Court. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as James Madison and our nation's other founding fathers understood that the right to keep and bear arms is a crucial individual liberty and protects the citizenry against a tyrannical government. Lawmakers should not infringe the Second Amendment rights of their own state residents to politicize the actions taken by other states.

Attacking Firearm Owners and Second Amendment Rights by Allowing Anyone to Sue Another Individual Who Constructs, Transports or Sells a Firearm Banned by the State.

This bill authorizes the State Air Resources Board every three years to review and increase the stringency of the state's cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gases. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the state's cap-and-trade program already places enormous unnecessary costs on businesses. This measure will further worsen the situation by allowing unaccountable government employees within ARB to inflict even greater harm to the state's business climate.

Threatening Businesses with Higher Costs by Increasing the Stringency of the State's Cap-and-Trade Program.

The "Climate Corporate Accountability Act" establishes mandatory reporting of greenhouse (GHG) emissions for large businesses in California. The bill requires companies to report both their direct and indirect emissions as well as publicize their targets and measures to reduce emissions., Oppose is the Limited Government Position as not only does this bill drive up costs by forcing companies to track their GHG emissions, but such publication may expose certain companies to harassment. Stringent cuts in GHG emissions ultimately drive up consumer costs, and harm the competitiveness of the state's business sector.

Further Driving Up Business Costs by Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Corporations

This bill amends California's Franchise Relations Act to impose new reporting requirements on monetary incentives and rebates that Franchisors may receive from third parties. Additionally, the bill forbids Franchisors from requiring a Franchisee to waive their right to a rebate or other benefit except under certain circumstances. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as it is not the role of government to intrude into the private contracting of private businesses to provide one party leverage or better contracting terms over another. Such actions violate the principles of free markets and the freedom to contract.

Infringing Franchisor and Franchise Contracting Rights through New Mandates Concerning Rights to Rebates and Monetary Incentives from Third Parties.

This bill establishes the California Reproductive Health Service Corps "for the purposes of recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse workforce of reproductive health care professionals in underserved areas." The bill directs funding towards scholarships, stipends for living expenses and childcare, and loan repayment for providers who work at a "corps-approved site". Oppose is the Limited Government Position as taxpayers should not fund scholarships or loan repayments for any industry, let alone an industry which faces strong opposition by a significant portion of the population.

Forcing Taxpayers to Fund Scholarships and Training for Abortion Providers by Establishing the "California Reproductive Health Service Corps".

This bill provides a $1,000 refundable tax credit to single-filers earning up to $40,000, and joint-filers earning up to $60,000, who do not own or purchase a car. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as lawmakers should not use the power of government to centrally plan the lives of individuals and wage war against the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, growing the size and scope of the government welfare state disincentivizes advancement and traps individuals into government dependency and poverty.

Growing Government Dependency by Providing $1,000 to Income-Eligible Individuals without Automobiles.

The "Platform Accountability and Transparency Act" requires social media to publicly disclose how their algorithms push information. This includes statistics on items of content that violated their platform policies and were recommended or amplified through their algorithms.  According to the bill's sponsor, the measure is needed to bring transparency to medical disinformation, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this government overreach into the private sector places significant financial and regulatory costs onto the tech industry, which is ultimately passed down to consumers.  Except in cases of fraud or criminal activity, industries are best governed through free market principles whereby consumers hold private companies accountable.

Expanding the Regulatory State by Placing Costly New Reporting Mandates on Social Media Companies Concerning Content Policy Violations

The "Clean Energy, Jobs, and Affordability Act of 2022" further increases the stringency of a landmark climate bill passed in 2018 which requires all electricity sold in the state to be 100% clean by 2045. SB 1020 establishes additional benchmarks such as requiring 90% of electricity sold be carbon free by 2030 and 95% by 2035. Furthermore, all state agencies must now obtain their power from renewables by 2035. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as these unnecessary new mandates will only further drive-up electricity costs for consumers, businesses and taxpayers. Lawmakers should instead spur economic growth (which ultimately leads to environmental improvement) through an "all of the above" approach to energy procurement.

Hiking Energy Costs by Imposing Even More Stringent Renewable Energy and Zero-Carbon Electricity Mandates

This bill imposes a series of new restrictions on the governing practices of Home Owners Associations (HOAs) and other planned communities.  For example, the bill places new regulations on HOAs concerning the ability of owners to rent their units as well as how issues are discussed on social media platforms. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as it is not the role of government to dictate the private contractual agreements and operations of HOAs. HOAs serve as free-market alternatives to government zoning and land use standards, as individuals can choose the restrictiveness of the community they wish to join or select to live on property outside the governance of an HOA.

Infringing Private Contracting Rights through Government Overreach into the Governance Practices of Private Condominium Associations

This bill declares that physicians and surgeons commit "unprofessional conduct" if they "disseminate misinformation" related to COVID-19, including false or misleading information regarding the nature and risks of the virus, its prevention and treatment; and the development, safety, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines". Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this politicized measure promotes government censorship and prevents physicians from best serving their patients - which is especially problematic considering the everchanging guidelines and determinations being made by the government concerning COVID-19.

Allowing the State Medical Board to Punish Doctors for Spreading Alleged "Misinformation" about COVID-19.

This bill extends the duration of postpartum coverage provided under Medicaid (government-provided healthcare) from 60 days to 1 year. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill further grows government-provided healthcare and dependency while also placing significant additional costs on both state and federal taxpayers.

Increasing Government Dependency by Expanding Medicaid Postpartum Coverage from 60 Days to an Entire Year.

This bill requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to construct a publicly accessible platform were manufactures must annually register products that contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). There are over 9,000 PFAS in existence which are in hundreds of common household products such as nonstick cookware, furniture, raincoats and shampoo.  Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the federal government already monitors PFAS substances and this measure will place significant additional costs on taxpayers, manufacturers, and ultimately consumers.

Advancing Government Overreach through a Costly New Reporting and Registration System for Products Containing PFAS Substances.

This bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt new regulations which require the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at certain existing commercial buildings including multi-family dwellings, hotels and non-residential developments. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as the free market - not government employees - is best equipped to determine the need, placement and amount of electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure. Empowering the DHCD to impose mandates may inflict significant financial harm onto some smaller businesses.

Advancing New Electric Vehicle Charging Station Mandates on Existing Multi-Family Dwellings, Hotels and other Commercial Buildings.

The bill extends indefinitely the prohibition on law enforcement utilizing facial recognition or any other biometric surveillance system in conjunction with a body-worn camera. This prohibition had been set to expire January 1, 2023. Support is the Limited Government Position as our Founding Fathers supported strong protections against unreasonable search and seizures as enshrined in the Fourth Amendment. Failure to enact this bill will further grow the surveillance state through the elimination of a critical protection against warrantless data collection.

Protecting Civil Liberties by Maintaining the Prohibition on the Usage of Facial Recognition Systems on Police Body-worn Cameras.

This bill prohibits most health insurance plans, except for a specialized health care service plan contract, from requiring any cost sharing for abortion, such as a deductible, coinsurance, or copayment. The bill also applies to Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as each and every health insurance mandate or price control on co-payments prevents an individual from selecting a plan with just basic or customized coverages to fit their specific needs. As a result, health insurers are forced to only offer costly plans loaded with coverages that most individuals do not need. This can result in lower-income or younger individuals choosing to purchase no insurance plan at all due to the high cost.

Increasing Health Insurance Premiums by Mandating Policies Provide Abortion Services Without any Co-Pay or Deductible.

This bill establishes the California Reproductive Health Equity Program, which provides no cost or reduced cost abortion services to women earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Additionally, the bill requires health insurers which provide plans without abortion coverage to religious employers, to provide written notice to those enrollees that they may be eligible for no cost abortions through the state program. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as regardless of ones view on abortion, it is not the role of government to provide such coverage and force the costs onto taxpayers, many of whom have deep religious objections to the practice.

Providing "Free" Abortions to Women Earning up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.

This bill is largely in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, which found the use of arbitrary "may issue" standards for concealed carry licenses to be unconstitutional. Under the bill, "gun free zones" are significantly expanded - including all private businesses by default unless they post a sign saying it is permitted. Additionally, concealed carry training requirements and costs are increased, among a number of other provisions. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as James Madison and our nation's other founding fathers understood that the right to keep and bear arms is a crucial individual liberty and protects the citizenry against a tyrannical government. This measure serves to undermine the Supreme Court's decision and limits the ability of law-abiding individuals to defend themselves from criminals.

Infringing Second Amendment Rights and Defying the Supreme Court Ruling through New "Gun Free" Zones and Concealed Carry Law Changes.

This bill requires a ballot drop-off location be placed on each California State University Campus in addition to the other locations required by law. Additionally, when selecting drop-off locations across the state, the bill requires election officials to prioritize community college locations. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as this bill politicizes the placement of ballot drop-off locations due to the very high levels of voting amongst college-age voters for a particular political party. While the state should eliminate all drop boxes, such placement should at least be based on population and determined in a non-politicized manner to ensure free and fair elections.

Weakening Election Integrity through the Politicized Placement of Ballot Drop Boxes Across All State University Campuses.

This bill requires all publicly serving businesses to provide individuals with an "eligible medical condition" (such as inflammatory bowel disease) access to their toilet facilities. The access must be provided even if the toilet facility is otherwise only available to employees, and a business can be fined $100 for each case of non-compliance. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as lawmakers should not further grow the regulatory state and impose mandates on private businesses to account for the near endless list of medical conditions that individuals may face. Such one-size-fits all mandates may also result in abuse of business restrooms - especially when considering California's extremely high homeless rates.

Forcing Private Businesses to Grant Access to Employee Restrooms for Individuals with an "Eligible Medical Condition".

This bill requires the California Health and Human Services Agency to establish a website providing various abortion related information.  Such information includes the locations of abortion providers, available practical support services like airfare, lodging, meals, etc., and payment support resources. Oppose is the Limited Government Position as it is not the role of government to promote abortion and force payment from taxpayers to advance abortion (many of whom may have strong religious objections). All abortions are tragedies and every child deserves the right to life.

Promoting Abortion through the Creation of a State Website to Provide Information on Abortion Providers and How to Obtain Support Services Such as Airfare, Meals and Lodging.

ILA

Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh