The California Chamber of Commerce has released a list of new employment laws scheduled to take effect in 2013 or earlier that will have an impact on businesses in California.

There have been significant changes in key areas, such as anti-discrimination protections, employee access to personnel records and employer access to personal social media accounts. Other laws relate to specific industries, such as farm labor contractors and temporary services employers.Unless specified, the following list of new legislation goes into effect on January 1, 2013. The entire list can also be viewed at, www.calchamber.com/newlaws2013.

With President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney running neck and neck, and several key House and Senate races much closer than expected, turnout on November 6 will be the key to who lives in the White House for the next four years and who controls Congress. With the "undecided" portion of the electorate down to less than an estimated 2%, polling late this week showed Romney and Obama each with about 49% of the vote, with last-minute campaigning in full swing after a two-day respite due to Hurricane Sandy. At this point in 2008, Obama enjoyed a 14-point lead against Sen. John McCain. While it appears the GOP will retain control of the House, picking up a seat or two, key Senate races in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Montana, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota and Virginia are all too close to call, with none of the front-runners enjoying more than a four-point lead just four days before the general election.  

A big issue at this point for most voters is the economy - jobs, taxes, growth and regulations. Agri-Pulse this week reported on its tracking of agriculture/agribusiness political action committee (PAC) contributions, and the bottom line is ag favored Republicans in this election by 2-1, shifting away from a traditional even split between Republicans and Democrats. Total contributions from producer group PACs as well as those controlled by supply groups and processor trade associations was $15.3 million to all federal candidates in the last year. The business community seeks greater certainty from Washington on prospective regulations and a plan to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff," jump starting the economy out of its currently sluggish "recovery." Personal issues center on broadening the employment base and individual tax rates, both in play as Congress prepares to return to Washington after the election for a lame duck session.

House GOP leadership continues to swear it will take up a "tweaked" five-year Farm Bill when it returns for the post-election lame duck session, but the fiscal cliff and Hurricane Sandy may push reauthorization of farm programs further down the legislative agenda. The number one item for the lame duck session is ensuring there's no headlong rush over the fiscal cliff with its expiring tax cuts and January 2013, mandatory budget cuts, the mere presence of which the U.S. business community says is dragging down the economy. House and Senate ag veterans said this week some form of farm program action will be taken, but Sen. Charles Grassley (R, IA) was the most cynical, saying if President Obama is reelected, it will likely be a five-year bill; if Gov. Mitt Romney wins, it would more than likely be a five-month extension of 2008 programs so the new administration can puts its mark on the new programs. Sen. Pat Roberts told a Kansas audience this week he sees quick action on the Farm Bill - "we will get it done" - but the biggest stumbling block is federal food stamp program costs. The Senate-passed Farm Bill cuts $4 billion out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the new title for food stamps, while the House cuts $16 billion, mostly through reinvention of management and state authorities. However, others contend there's still no agreement among producer groups on farm program reauthorization - the House committee bill includes marketing loans and deficiency payments, the Senate bill does not - so a "quick" resolution of the Farm Bill may be elusive.

AFE's annual fundraising dinner, held September 20, 2012 at SAF's Annual Convention in Palm Beach, was more than your average fundraising dinner!

In addition to the donor recognitions, the networking, and the opportunity for industry members to show their support for AFE, one special presentation made the night a "one in a million" event for the over 200 AFE supporters at the dinner.

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Call it unprecedented, historic, the "storm of the century" or the "perfect storm," Hurricane Sandy left a wake of nearly $20 billion in property damage from North Carolina to Boston this week. Lost business and other impacts are expected to ratchet that figure closer to $50 billion when all the numbers are in. While the most severe damage was centered on New York City and New Jersey, reports on how agriculture fared during the hurricane indicate damage was relatively minor, with reports of flooding at poultry grow-out facilities, wind damage to outbuildings, etc. common.  

Specialty crop and other harvests were mostly complete, and business is quickly returning to normal after shutting down Monday and Tuesday this week. However, congressional delegations from the hardest hit states are demanding Congress immediately approve a massive package of emergency relief spending, even after the Administration pushed nearly $35 million into New York City and New Jersey within hours of Sandy's assault. Sen. Charles Schumer (D, NY) said his state was hit by an unprecedented natural disaster and the federal response should be equally unprecedented. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D, NJ), chair of a Senate subcommittee that oversees surface transportation and marine infrastructure, after touring the damage in New Jersey, said he'd return to fight for the necessary funds to "rebuild and improve infrastructure in New Jersey." Schumer, Lautenberg and Sen. Robert Menendez (D, NJ) sent a letter this week to President Obama asking him to use his authority granted under a 1974 disaster law to pay 90-100% of the cost of disaster relief for New York State and New Jersey.  

The normal maximum federal rate is 75%. However, both Democrat and GOP Senate leadership this week said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has money in the bank since it's the beginning of the federal fiscal year, and Congress is likely to wait for solid estimates of Sandy's damage before moving to authorize through a supplemental appropriations bill any emergency spending. For itself, FEMA executives say they'll likely need a cash infusion to deal with the post-Sandy clean-up. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D, PA), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, wants $12 billion in emergency spending authorized for FEMA's use immediately upon Congress' return for the lame duck session later this month. If authorized as emergency spending, no offsets or cuts in other programs are required under congressional budget rules. Fiscally conservative Republicans in the House are expected to insist any new disaster spending be offset by cuts in other federal programs.

FTD is running a great sweepstakes until November 7th for active FTD Members in good standing. The Everyone "Likes" A Parade Sweepstakes is held through our Florist Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MercuryNetwork. The winner of the sweepstakes gets an all-expense paid trip for two to the 2013 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, CA!

I have attended the Rose Parade & Rose Bowl Game numerous times, so I can personally tell you that it truly is "the trip of a lifetime"...especially for someone in the floral industry!

Please feel free to let your members know about this great opportunity by sharing our sweepstakes post on your Facebook pages. Click the following link to go directly to the post  http://on.fb.me/TqBJAm. 

If you haven't already, please remember to "Like" us at www.facebook.com/MercuryNetwork too so you can stay informed of any future events!

Good luck members!