How Senate Bills 633 and 345 could help your business overcome regulatory burdens and workers' comp compliance issues.
Paul Cramer’s family has been involved in the agriculture industry since the 1920s, when Olin Cramer owned a chicken egg farm in Walnut, Calif., where he made his own feed. In 1970, Richard Cramer, Paul’s grandfather, bought Star Milling Co. in Perris with the goal of feeding his own chickens for egg production.
Since then, it has evolved to manufacture feed for not only poultry, but for all animals also, including livestock, equine, pets and fish. They export a lot of product overseas, mostly pet food to the Pacific Rim, and the company has become the largest producer of aquaculture food in the state, supplying catfish, tilapia, trout and other species in Arizona, California, Oregon and New Mexico.
Despite their success, however, there are still state issues that impede further growth. Here are two of the top problems, according to Paul Cramer, who serves as director of sales.
1. Regulatory burden
“As we look at expanding, most of the issues that we will face are on the regulatory and permitting side of things, like dealing with CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act],” Cramer says. “Environmental regulations and the redundant bureaucracies that the state and county have impede development and expansion of the business.” Reforming CEQA and limiting the regulations that can be dreamed up and released by the legislature would be a big help, he adds.
2. Workers’ compensation compliance
“Having 80 employees makes it difficult to ensure that as a business we are protected and do things properly when it comes to workers’ compensation,” Cramer says. “But as in anything, the more you pay for help on these issues, the better off you are and able to comply.”
In addition, Cramer is also personally working on two legislative proposals: Senate Bill 633, which would change the “Made in the USA” labeling laws to mirror those of the FTC standards, and Senate Bill 345, which would change some of the rules and fee structures to obtain fishing licenses in California.
