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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Candidates for California governor face off about affordability, high cost of living in first bipartisan clash
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - In a largely courteous gathering of a half dozen of California's top gubernatorial candidates, four Democrats and two Republicans agreed that despite the state boasting one of the world's largest economies, too many of its residents are suffering because of the affordability crisis in the state. Their strategies on how to improve the state's economy, however, largely embraced the divergent views of their respective political parties as they discussed housing costs, high-speed rail, tariffs, climate change and homelessness on Wednesday evening at the first bipartisan event in the 2026 governor race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. "Californians are innovators. They are builders, they are designers, they are creators, and that is the reason that we have the fourth largest economy in the world," said former Rep. Katie Porter., a Democrat from Irvine "But businesses and workers are being held back by the same thing. It is too expensive to do things here. It is too expensive to raise a family. It is too expensive to run a business." Conservative commentator Steve Hilton, a Republican, argued that state leaders need to end the "stranglehold" of unions, lawyers and climate change activists on California policy. "I've been traveling this state. Everywhere I go, it's the same story, this heartbreaking word that I get from every business I meet, every family is in such a struggle in California," he said, with a raspy voice he explained immediately upon taking the stage was caused by a sore throat. The candidates spoke to about 800 people at a California Chamber of Commerce dinner at an 80-minute panel at the convention center in Sacramento. The chamber's decision on who to invite to the forum was based on which ones were leaders in public opinion surveys and fundraising. Making the cut were former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, Hilton, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Porter and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The sharpest exchange of the evening was between Kounalakis, a Democrat, and Bianco, a Republican. After the candidates were asked about President Trump's erratic tariff policies, Kounalakis cited her experience working for her father's reat estate company as she criticized Bianco for arguing for a wait-and-see approach about the president's undulating plans. "You're not a businessman, you're a government employee," she said to Bianco. "You've got a pension, you're going to do just fine. Small businesses are suffering from this, and it's only going to get worse, and it's driven, by the way, it is driven by Donald Trump's vindictiveness toward countries he doesn't like, countries he wants to annex, or states he doesn't like, people he doesn't like. This is hurting California, hurting our people, and it's only going to make things worse, until we can get him out of the White House." Bianco countered that Kounalakis and the other Democrat gubernatorial candidates are directly responsible for the economic woes facing Californians because they have an "unquenchable thirst" for money to fund their liberal agenda. "I just feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. I have a billionaire telling me that my 32 years of public service is okay for my retirement," he said. "It's taxes and regulations that are driving every single thing in California up. We pay the highest taxes, we pay the highest gas, we pay the highest housing, we pay the highest energy." The Democrats on stage, though largely agreeing about policy, sought to differentiate themselves. The sharpest divide was about whether to raise the minimum wage. On Monday, labor advocates in Los Angeles proposed raising it in Los Angeles County Atkins reflected most of her fellow Democrats' views, saying that while she wanted to see higher wages for workers, "now is not the time." Villaraigosa said that while he believes in a higher minimum wage, "we can't just keep raising the minimum wage." Kounalakis, though, said not increasing the minimum wage would be inhumane. "I think we should be working for that number, yes I do," she said. "You want to throw poor people under the bus." California's high cost of living is a pressing concern among the state's voters, and the issue is expected to play a major role in the 2026 governor's face. Nearly half feel worse off now compared with last year, and more than half felt less hopeful about their economic well-being, according to a poll released in May by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies that was co-sponsored by The Times. Nearly exactly a year before the gubernatorial primary next year, the event was the first time Democratic and Republican candidates have shared a stage. It was also the first time GOP candidates Bianco and Hilton have appeared together. Although the state's leftward electoral tilt makes it challenging for a Republican to win the race – Californians last elected GOP politicians to statewide office in 2006 - Bianco and Hilton are battling to win one of the top two spots in next year's primary election. The pair expressed similar views about broadly ending liberal policies in the state, such as stopping the state's high-speed rail project and reducing environmental restrictions such as the state's climate-change efforts that they argue have increased costs while making no meaningful impact on the consumption of fossil fuels. A crucial question is whether President Trump, who both Bianco and Hilton fully support, will eventually endorse one of the Republican candidates. The gubernatorial candidates, some of whom have been running more than a year, have largely focused on fundraising since entering the race. But the contest to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom is growing more public and heated, as seen at last weekend's California Democratic Party convention. Several of the party's candidates scurried around the Anaheim convention center, trying to curry favor with the state's most liberal activists while also drawing contrasts with their rivals. But the Democratic field is partially frozen as former Vice President Kamala Harris weighs entering the race, a decision she is expected to make by the end of the summer. Harris' name did not come up during the forum. There were a handful of light moments. Porter expressed a common concern among the state's residents when they talk about the cost of living in the state. "What really keeps me up at night, why I'm running for governor, is whether my children are going to be able to afford to live here, whether they're going to ever get off my couch and have their own home," she said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Candidates for California governor face off about affordability, high cost of living in first bipartisan clash
In a largely courteous gathering of a half dozen of California's top gubernatorial candidates, four Democrats and two Republicans agreed that despite the state boasting one of the world's largest economies, too many of its residents are suffering because of the affordability crisis in the state. Their strategies on how to improve the state's economy, however, largely embraced the divergent views of their respective political parties as they discussed housing costs, high-speed rail, tariffs, climate change and homelessness on Wednesday evening at the first bipartisan event in the 2026 governor race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. "Californians are innovators. They are builders, they are designers, they are creators, and that is the reason that we have the fourth largest economy in the world," said former Rep. Katie Porter., a Democrat from Irvine "But businesses and workers are being held back by the same thing. It is too expensive to do things here. It is too expensive to raise a family. It is too expensive to run a business." Conservative commentator Steve Hilton, a Republican, argued that state leaders need to end the "stranglehold" of unions, lawyers and climate change activists on California policy. "I've been traveling this state. Everywhere I go, it's the same story, this heartbreaking word that I get from every business I meet, every family is in such a struggle in California," he said, with a raspy voice he explained immediately upon taking the stage was caused by a sore throat. The candidates spoke to about 800 people at a California Chamber of Commerce dinner at an 80-minute panel at the convention center in Sacramento. The chamber's decision on who to invite to the forum was based on which ones were leaders in public opinion surveys and fundraising. Making the cut were former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, Hilton, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Porter and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The sharpest exchange of the evening was between Kounalakis, a Democrat, and Bianco, a Republican. After the candidates were asked about President Trump's erratic tariff policies, Kounalakis cited her experience working for her father's reat estate company as she criticized Bianco for arguing for a wait-and-see approach about the president's undulating plans. "You're not a businessman, you're a government employee," she said to Bianco. "You've got a pension, you're going to do just fine. Small businesses are suffering from this, and it's only going to get worse, and it's driven, by the way, it is driven by Donald Trump's vindictiveness toward countries he doesn't like, countries he wants to annex, or states he doesn't like, people he doesn't like. This is hurting California, hurting our people, and it's only going to make things worse, until we can get him out of the White House." Bianco countered that Kounalakis and the other Democrat gubernatorial candidates are directly responsible for the economic woes facing Californians because they have an "unquenchable thirst" for money to fund their liberal agenda. "I just feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. I have a billionaire telling me that my 32 years of public service is okay for my retirement," he said. "It's taxes and regulations that are driving every single thing in California up. We pay the highest taxes, we pay the highest gas, we pay the highest housing, we pay the highest energy." The Democrats on stage, though largely agreeing about policy, sought to differentiate themselves. The sharpest divide was about whether to raise the minimum wage. On Monday, labor advocates in Los Angeles proposed raising it in Los Angeles County Read more: Labor groups, officials push for a minimum wage of at least $25 an hour in L.A. County Atkins reflected most of her fellow Democrats' views, saying that while she wanted to see higher wages for workers, "now is not the time." Villaraigosa said that while he believes in a higher minimum wage, "we can't just keep raising the minimum wage." Kounalakis, though, said not increasing the minimum wage would be inhumane. "I think we should be working for that number, yes I do," she said. "You want to throw poor people under the bus." California's high cost of living is a pressing concern among the state's voters, and the issue is expected to play a major role in the 2026 governor's face. Nearly half feel worse off now compared with last year, and more than half felt less hopeful about their economic well-being, according to a poll released in May by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies that was co-sponsored by The Times. Read more: Despite political promises, Californians are stressed about their finances Nearly exactly a year before the gubernatorial primary next year, the event was the first time Democratic and Republican candidates have shared a stage. It was also the first time GOP candidates Bianco and Hilton have appeared together. Although the state's leftward electoral tilt makes it challenging for a Republican to win the race – Californians last elected GOP politicians to statewide office in 2006 — Bianco and Hilton are battling to win one of the top two spots in next year's primary election. The pair expressed similar views about broadly ending liberal policies in the state, such as stopping the state's high-speed rail project and reducing environmental restrictions such as the state's climate-change efforts that they argue have increased costs while making no meaningful impact on the consumption of fossil fuels. Read more: Who is running for California governor in 2026? Meet the candidates A crucial question is whether President Trump, who both Bianco and Hilton fully support, will eventually endorse one of the Republican candidates. The gubernatorial candidates, some of whom have been running more than a year, have largely focused on fundraising since entering the race. But the contest to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom is growing more public and heated, as seen at last weekend's California Democratic Party convention. Several of the party's candidates scurried around the Anaheim convention center, trying to curry favor with the state's most liberal activists while also drawing contrasts with their rivals. Read more: With Harris on the sideline, top Democratic candidates for California governor woo party loyalists But the Democratic field is partially frozen as former Vice President Kamala Harris weighs entering the race, a decision she is expected to make by the end of the summer. Harris' name did not come up during the forum. There were a handful of light moments. Porter expressed a common concern among the state's residents when they talk about the cost of living in the state. "What really keeps me up at night, why I'm running for governor, is whether my children are going to be able to afford to live here, whether they're going to ever get off my couch and have their own home," she said. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Candidates for California governor face off about affordability, high cost of living in first bipartisan clash
SACRAMENTO — In a largely courteous gathering of a half dozen of California's top gubernatorial candidates, four Democrats and two Republicans agreed that despite the state boasting one of the world's largest economies, too many of its residents are suffering because of the affordability crisis in the state. Their strategies on how to improve the state's economy, however, largely embraced the divergent views of their respective political parties as they discussed housing costs, high-speed rail, tariffs, climate change and homelessness on Wednesday evening at the first bipartisan event in the 2026 governor race to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. 'Californians are innovators. They are builders, they are designers, they are creators, and that is the reason that we have the fourth largest economy in the world,' said former Rep. Katie Porter., a Democrat from Irvine 'But businesses and workers are being held back by the same thing. It is too expensive to do things here. It is too expensive to raise a family. It is too expensive to run a business.' Conservative commentator Steve Hilton, a Republican, argued that state leaders need to end the 'stranglehold' of unions, lawyers and climate change activists on California policy. 'I've been traveling this state. Everywhere I go, it's the same story, this heartbreaking word that I get from every business I meet, every family is in such a struggle in California,' he said, with a raspy voice he explained immediately upon taking the stage was caused by a sore throat. The candidates spoke to about 800 people at a California Chamber of Commerce dinner at an 80-minute panel at the convention center in Sacramento. The chamber's decision on who to invite to the forum was based on which ones were leaders in public opinion surveys and fundraising. Making the cut were former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, Hilton, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Porter and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The sharpest exchange of the evening was between Kounalakis, a Democrat, and Bianco, a Republican. After the candidates were asked about President Trump's erratic tariff policies, Kounalakis cited her experience working for her father's reat estate company as she criticized Bianco for arguing for a wait-and-see approach about the president's undulating plans. 'You're not a businessman, you're a government employee,' she said to Bianco. 'You've got a pension, you're going to do just fine. Small businesses are suffering from this, and it's only going to get worse, and it's driven, by the way, it is driven by Donald Trump's vindictiveness toward countries he doesn't like, countries he wants to annex, or states he doesn't like, people he doesn't like. This is hurting California, hurting our people, and it's only going to make things worse, until we can get him out of the White House.' Bianco countered that Kounalakis and the other Democrat gubernatorial candidates are directly responsible for the economic woes facing Californians because they have an 'unquenchable thirst' for money to fund their liberal agenda. 'I just feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. I have a billionaire telling me that my 32 years of public service is okay for my retirement,' he said. 'It's taxes and regulations that are driving every single thing in California up. We pay the highest taxes, we pay the highest gas, we pay the highest housing, we pay the highest energy.' The Democrats on stage, though largely agreeing about policy, sought to differentiate themselves. The sharpest divide was about whether to raise the minimum wage. On Monday, labor advocates in Los Angeles proposed raising it in Los Angeles County Atkins reflected most of her fellow Democrats' views, saying that while she wanted to see higher wages for workers, 'now is not the time.' Villaraigosa said that while he believes in a higher minimum wage, 'we can't just keep raising the minimum wage.' Kounalakis, though, said not increasing the minimum wage would be inhumane. 'I think we should be working for that number, yes I do,' she said. 'You want to throw poor people under the bus.' California's high cost of living is a pressing concern among the state's voters, and the issue is expected to play a major role in the 2026 governor's face. Nearly half feel worse off now compared with last year, and more than half felt less hopeful about their economic well-being, according to a poll released in May by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies that was co-sponsored by The Times. Nearly exactly a year before the gubernatorial primary next year, the event was the first time Democratic and Republican candidates have shared a stage. It was also the first time GOP candidates Bianco and Hilton have appeared together. Although the state's leftward electoral tilt makes it challenging for a Republican to win the race – Californians last elected GOP politicians to statewide office in 2006 — Bianco and Hilton are battling to win one of the top two spots in next year's primary election. The pair expressed similar views about broadly ending liberal policies in the state, such as stopping the state's high-speed rail project and reducing environmental restrictions such as the state's climate-change efforts that they argue have increased costs while making no meaningful impact on the consumption of fossil fuels. A crucial question is whether President Trump, who both Bianco and Hilton fully support, will eventually endorse one of the Republican candidates. The gubernatorial candidates, some of whom have been running more than a year, have largely focused on fundraising since entering the race. But the contest to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom is growing more public and heated, as seen at last weekend's California Democratic Party convention. Several of the party's candidates scurried around the Anaheim convention center, trying to curry favor with the state's most liberal activists while also drawing contrasts with their rivals. But the Democratic field is partially frozen as former Vice President Kamala Harris weighs entering the race, a decision she is expected to make by the end of the summer. Harris' name did not come up during the forum. There were a handful of light moments. Porter expressed a common concern among the state's residents when they talk about the cost of living in the state. 'What really keeps me up at night, why I'm running for governor, is whether my children are going to be able to afford to live here, whether they're going to ever get off my couch and have their own home,' she said.
Los Angeles Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
CalRecycle drafts revised plastic recycling rules that are more friendly to industry.
State waste officials have taken another stab at rules implementing a landmark plastic waste law, more than two months after Gov. Gavin Newsom torpedoed their initial proposal. CalRecycle, the state agency that oversees waste management, recently proposed a new set of draft regulations to implement SB 54, the 2022 law designed to reduce California's single-use plastic waste. The law was designed to shift the financial onus of waste reduction from the state's people, towns and cities to the companies and corporations that make the polluting products. It was also intended to reduce the amount of single use plastics that end up in California's waste stream. The draft regulations proposed last week largely mirror the ones introduced earlier this year, which set the rules, guidelines and parameters of the program — but with some minor and major tweaks. The new ones clarify producer obligations and reporting timelines, said organizations representing packaging and plastics companies, such as the Circular Action Alliance and the California Chamber of Commerce. But they also include a broad set of exemptions for a wide variety of single-use plastics — including any product that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has jurisdiction over, which includes all packaging related to produce, meat, dairy products, dog food, toothpaste, condoms, shampoo and cereal boxes, among other products. The rules also leave open the possibility of using chemical or alternative recycling as a method for dealing with plastics that can't be recycled via mechanical means, said people representing environmental, recycling and waste hauling companies and organizations. California's Attorney General, Rob Bonta, filed a suit against ExxonMobil last year that, in part, accuses the oil giant of deceptive claims regarding chemical recycling, which the company disputes. Critics say the introduction of these exemptions and the opening for polluting recycling technologies will undermine and kneecap a law that just three years ago Newsom's office described as 'nation-leading' and 'the most significant overhaul of the state's plastic and packaging policy in history.' The 'gaping hole that the new exemptions have blown' into the bill make it unworkable, practically unfundable, and antithetical to its original purpose of reducing plastic waste, said Heidi Sanborn, director of the National Stewardship Action Council. Last March, after nearly three years of negotiations among various corporate, environmental, waste, recycling and health stakeholders, CalRecycle drafted a set of finalized regulations designed to implement the single-use plastic producer responsibility program under SB 54. But as the deadline for implementation approached, industries that would be affected by the regulations including plastic producers and packaging companies — represented by the California Chamber of Commerce and the Circular Action Alliance — began lobbying the governor, complaining the regulations were poorly developed and might ultimately increase costs for California taxpayers. Newsom allowed the regulations to expire and told CalRecycle it needed to start the process over. Daniel Villaseñor, a spokesman for the governor, said Newsom was concerned about the program's potential costs for small businesses and families, which a state analysis estimated could run an extra $300 per year per household. He said the new draft regulations 'are a step in the right direction' and they ensure 'California's bold recycling law can achieve its goal of cutting plastic pollution,' said Villaseñor in a statement. John Myers, a spokesman for the California Chamber of Commerce, whose members include the American Chemistry Council, Western Plastics Assn. and the Flexible Packaging Assn., said the chamber was still reviewing the changes. CalRecycle is holding a workshop next Tuesday to discuss the draft regulations. Once CalRecycle decides to finalize the regulations, which experts say could happen at any time, it moves into a 45 day official rule making period during which time the regulations are reviewed by the Office of Administrative Law. If it's considered legally sound and the governor is happy, it becomes official. The law, which was authored by Sen. Ben Allen (D- Santa Monica) and signed by Newsom in 2022, requires that by 2032, 100% of single-use packaging and plastic foodware produced or sold in the state must be recyclable or compostable, that 65% of it can be recycled, and that the total volume is reduced by 25%. The law was written to address the mounting issue of plastic pollution in the environment and the growing number of studies showing the ubiquity of microplastic pollution in the human body — such as in the brain, blood, heart tissue, testicles, lungs and various other organs. According to one state analysis, 2.9 million tons of single-use plastic and 171.4 billion single-use plastic components were sold, offered for sale, or distributed during 2023 in California. Most of these single-use plastic packaging products cannot be recycled, and as they break-down in the environment — never fully-decomposing — they contribute to the growing burden of microplastics in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that nourishes our crops. The law falls into a category of extended producer responsibility laws that now regulate the handling of paint, carpeting, batteries and textiles in California — requiring producers to see their products throughout their entire life cycle, taking financial responsibility for their products' end of life. Theoretically such programs, which have been adopted in other states, including Washington, Oregon and Colorado, spur technological innovation and potentially create circular economies — where products are designed to be reused, recycled or composted. Sanborn said the new exemptions not only potentially turn the law 'into a joke,' but will also dry up the program's funding and instead put the financial burden on the consumer and the few packaging and single-use plastic manufacturers that aren't included in the exemptions. 'If you want to bring the cost down, you've got to have a fair and level playing field where all the businesses are paying in and running the program. The more exemptions you give, the less funding there is, and the less fair it is,' she said. In addition, because of the way residential and commercial packaging waste is collected, 'it's all going to get thrown away together, so now you have less funding' to deal with the same amount of waste, but for which only a small number of companies will be accountable for sorting out their material and making sure it gets disposed of properly. Others were equally miffed, including Allen, the bill's author, who said in a statement that while there are some improvements in the new regulations, there are 'several provisions that appear to conflict with law,' including the widespread exemptions and the allowance of polluting recycling technologies. 'If the purpose of the law is to reduce single-use plastic ad plastic pollution,' said Anja Braden from the Ocean Conservancy, these new regulations aren't going to do it — they are 'inconsistent with the law and fully undermine its purpose and goal.' She also said the exemptions preclude technological innovation, dampening incentives for companies to explore new recyclable and compostable packaging materials. Nick Lapis with Californians Against Waste, said his organization was 'really disappointed to see the administration caving to industry on some core parts of this program,' and also noted his read suggests many of the changes don't comply with the law. Next Tuesday, the public will have an opportunity to express their concerns at a rulemaking workshop in Sacramento. However, Sanborn fears there will be little time or appetite from the agency or the governor's office to make substantial changes to the new regulations. 'They're basically already cooked,' said Sanborn, noting CalRecycle had already accepted public comments during previous rounds and iterations. 'California should be the leader at holding the bar up in this space,' she said. 'I'm afraid this has dropped the bar very low.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
West Coast business leaders are caught in middle of CA lawsuit over Trump tariffs
SACRAMENTO, California – California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Wednesday presented himself as a defender of the state's formidable economy while unveiling a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's authority to impose tariffs. The labor-aligned Democrat told POLITICO he had 'direct conversations' with 'quite a few folks' from business and trade organizations angry with Trump's tariffs before filing the nation's first state-led suit, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. He said Trump's haphazard approach to tariffs was inflicting heavy losses on mom-and-pop shops and other trade-reliant California businesses, putting some at risk of closing their doors. 'This is very specifically important to California,' Bonta said in an interview, noting the state's standing as the fifth-largest economy in the world. 'We wanted to move quickly and assertively.' But there was no noisy chorus of support from business leaders in the wake of Bonta's bombshell announcement. The California Chamber of Commerce, one of the state's most influential business groups, remained mum on the lawsuit. And a leading retail group — along with a coalition of business organizations — while supportive of Democratic officials' efforts to push back against tariffs, also used the moment to criticize what it views as the state's heavy-handed approach to regulation. The muted response reflects the delicate dance business leaders find themselves in as Bonta and Gov. Gavin Newsom opened another front in their war against the Trump administration with the tariff lawsuit. Behind-the-scenes support for the legal challenge might be strong, but business heads were reluctant to publicly align themselves with Newsom and Bonta. While Newsom has some significant support in the state's business community especially in the tech sector, Bonta is not seen as a strong ally. Both carry the added baggage of being presidential foes. Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, said that while she agrees the state needs a strategy to respond to the financial hits many small businesses could take, state leaders need to reexamine regulations they are slapping on businesses while they call out Trump. 'What they're doing to businesses is the same thing that Trump is doing to businesses as well,' Michelin said, who has been to Washington, D.C., herself to advocate against the administration's tariffs. 'It may not be tariffs, but it's still increased costs on businesses — which ultimately leads to increased costs on consumers.' And the Goods Movement Alliance, a organization that includes the California Business Roundtable and other groups, released a lengthy statement that made no mention of the lawsuit. Instead it voiced support for Newsom's call for 'certainty' in supply chains and then criticized the state for policies that the group said were detrimental to business. A spokesperson for the California Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, did not directly respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, instead issuing a more general statement on tariff policy. The influential business advocacy group treading carefully on the issue was in line with the national Chamber of Commerce electing not to join lawsuits challenging Trump's tariffs. Natalie Collins, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, said the state already has a sort of 'self-imposed tariff' on the wine industry because of regulatory costs. She said the impact of tariffs on the domestic wine industry are nuanced and the association is still assessing the effects. But she'd like to see the state look at 'rolling back outdated rules, streamlining compliance and giving our ag communities the tools they need to just stay in business and be competitive.' 'I feel that California leadership can really take a look inward about things that they can actually change,' Collins said. Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Association, said only that the lawsuit would 'play itself out.' Instead, he said the organization – which represents over 1,200 new car dealerships in the state – is watching for the price impacts of tariffs and waiting to see how car manufacturers respond. Car sales in the state were up more than 8 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to last year, which Maas said can be anecdotally attributed to consumers' expectation of future price hikes due to tariffs on automobiles. Mike Jacob, president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association – which lost about half its bookings prior to Trump pausing the tariffs – struck a more supportive note. He said the group reached out to state leaders immediately after the tariffs were announced and that they were ready to be a resource in supporting the litigation. The shipping industry trade group is also sponsoring legislation by Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez seeking to study the impact of tariffs on California's economy. 'We want to make sure that they know that the maritime industry and their partners in goods movement are ready to provide them with support that they need for this type of defense of our infrastructure and our jobs and our economy,' said Jacob. Jacob said that states that rely heavily on trade should ask whether the tariff policy is consistent with the law and achieves public policy goals. 'We don't really know if either of those things were the case at this point,' he said.
