Salute to small businesses creates big fuss in Senate
It wasn't the bill about taxing online retailers that sparked the most heated debate at Thursday's Senate floor session.
Or the measure requiring ski resorts to comply with safety reporting requirements.
The hot topic? A resolution to declare that May is Small Business Month.
Its stated goal was to "raise awareness of the contributions made by outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners." But that wasn't the issue.
More than one-fourth of the upper house's 40 senators spoke on the resolution, which was introduced by a Democrat, Inglewood Sen. Curren Price.
Senate Republican leader Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga urged colleagues to put their money where their mouths are by supporting bills that Republicans say will spark job growth and by opposing what he called "job killer" bills introduced by the majority party.
Democrats stood up in defense, saying they also had small-business owners in mind.
"If anyone were to check the file, you would see that there are many Democrats carrying legislation this session to support small business," said Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro.
The result of all that sound and fury?
Price asked for bipartisan support for his measure. And he got it.
The resolution passed 40-0.
– Torey Van Oot
WORTH REPEATING
"Dogs are ambassadors from another world."
GOV. JERRY BROWN, referring to his dog, Sutter, in the New York Times
CAPITOL WATCH
Gov. Jerry Brown has named Fred Klass, a top Department of Finance official, as director of the state Department of General Services. Klass has worked at Finance for more than 20 years, since 2007 as chief operating officer. Compensation for the post, which requires Senate confirmation, is $159,300 a year. The Fair Oaks resident is registered decline-to-state.
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