NFIB California in the News 2021

The following is a sample of 2021 media coverage about NFIB California’s small-business agenda. This story will be updated as new stories are published. Click here to see a collection of 2019-2020 media hits.

• Epoch TV, December 17—State Director John Kabateck sits down for a 25-minute interview on port congestion and other issues for the California Insider show.

• The Sacramento Bee, December 17—State Director John Kabateck comments on the latest mask mandate for a story that also ran in The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee, and the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

• Citizens Journal, December 15—Online news site publishes NFIB’s news release on the latest monthly SBET report, A 42-Year High We Could Do Without.

• The Epoch Times, December 8—NFIB comments included in a story about the epidemic of retail theft.

• The Sacramento Bee, December 7—State Director John Kabateck comments on a proposed ballot initiative that would raise the state’s minimum-wage rate to $18 an hour. The story also ran in sister publications Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, and San Luis Obispo Tribune.

• Associated Press, December 3—As testimony to how big of an issue retail theft has become, State Director John Kabateck is quoted in an Associated Press story that ran in 366 media outlets across the nation, including tribal and foreign-language publications.

• The Bakersfield Californian, November 26—State Director John Kabateck calls on everyone to shop small on Small Business Saturday.

• The Citizens Journal, November 24—The Ventura County news site publishes NFIB’s news release about Small Business Saturday coming up.

• The Mike Stoker Podcast, November 24—State Director John Kabateck discusses supply chain issues with the host of a 4,000-listener podcast.

• Capitol Weekly, November 18—The state could do more to help unclog port congestion, writes State Director John Kabateck in a guest editorial for the publication.

• KFBK News Radio, Sacramento, November 11—In a six-minute interview on The Afternoon News with Kitty O’Neal, State Director John Kabateck discusses NFIB’s monthly Small Business Economic Trends report.

• The Epoch Times, November 10—For a national story on supply-chain disruptions, NFIB California comments on the other problems adding up to a bleak economic outlook.

• Citizens Journal, November 4—Online news site publishes NFIB California’s news release on the latest Jobs Report.

• Los Angeles Times, October 12—Columnist Michael Hiltzik takes another bite of an NFIB news release apple in writing about the UI benefit cutoff. “The cutoff was accompanied by some intemperate commentary from the business community … which depicted recalcitrant workers as ‘remaining on the couch watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island.’”

• The Sacramento Bee, October 1—State Director John Kabateck tells the media outlet that the state should pick up the cost if it wants to extend the paid COVID leave law.

• CalMatters, September 23—State Director John Kabateck is quoted about the difficulties small businesses would face if supplemental paid sick leave was extended. The story also ran in 30 other daily and online publications subscribing to CalMatters content.

• Capitol Weekly, September 22—In a guest editorial for the publications, State Director John Kabateck writes about the damage congressional proposals to increase taxes would have on the California economy.

• Southern California Record, September 21—State Director John Kabateck discusses vaccine mandates and asks policymakers to use recess time to talk with their constituents.

• Citizens Journal, September 14—Online news outlet for Ventura County publishes NFIB California’s news release commenting on the latest Small Business Economic Trends Report.

• The Wall Street Journal, September 12—NFIB California Leadership Council Member Denise Duncan is quoted about the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

• Northern California Record, August 31—State Director John Kabateck comments on the coming end of the legislative session and what small businesses would like to see.

• Los Angeles Times, August 20—In a story about California’s job market surging before the Delta variant, NFIB tells the Los Angeles Times that Main Street businesses have a different side of the story.

• Cal Matters, August 19—State Director John Kabateck comments on the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom for a story syndicated to multiple media outlets throughout the state.

• The Sacramento Bee, August 13—Leadership Council Member Manny Cosme and State Director John Kabateck were quoted in a story on the state’s unemployment insurance debt it owes the federal government.

• Southern California Record, August 12—Kabateck also addressed the UI topic in an interview with the Southern California Record.

• KFBK News Radio, Sacramento, August 10—State Director John Kabateck interviewed about the latest results from NFIB’s monthly Small Business Economic Trends report.

• Citizens Journal, August 5—The online news site of Ventura County published NFIB California’s news release commenting on the latest Jobs Report from NFIB.

• CalMatters, July 28—NFIB member Jim Mayfield is quoted in a story on the new challenges facing small-business owners.

• The Epoch Times, July 23—Story on the $775 million to $1.2 billion cost to rebuild parts of the State Capitol quotes State Director John Kabateck registering his opposition.

• SactownTalks, July 23—For a panel discussion on labor law and COVID 19, the podcast invited State Director John Kabateck to give small businesses’ side of the story.

• Northern California Record, July 20—Article on some of the pro-small-business legislation to emerge from the session so far includes NFIB’s choice.

• Southern California Record, July 19—State Director John Kabateck asked what impact the latest mask mandate in Los Angeles County might have on small businesses.

• Citizens Journal, July 16—Ventura County news outlet publishes NFIB California’s news release on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of Assembly Bill 150 into law.

• iHeart Radio, July 13—Local comment provided on the release of NFIB’s latest Small Business Economic Trends report.

• Citizens Journal, July 13—The online news outlet for Ventura County publishes NFIB California’s comment on the release of the latest Small Business Economic Trends report.

• The Mercury News, June 17—The state’s spike in unemployment claims could be in part due to the extra money the federal government adds to state unemployment benefits that can make it more rewarding to stay at home rather than look for work, State Director John Kabateck tells the newspaper.

• The Orange County Register, June 14—In a guest editorial, State Director John Kabateck tells readers that not all innovation comes from big companies. Small businesses are leading the way, also.

• Fox 40, Sacramento, June 8—State Director John Kabateck comments on the state’s full reopening for business in a week’s time.

• The Center Square, June 8—Small businesses’ increasing inability to find enough workers is the subject of an article that quotes State Director John Kabateck.

• The Pacific Research Institute, June 1—State Director John Kabateck comments on Governor Newsom’s comeback plan for small business.

• Associated Press, May 17—Wire service report quotes State Director John Kabateck on the lifting of the state’s mask mandate June 15.

• Southern California Record, May 17—NFIB member Jim Relles, owner of Relles Florist in Sacramento, discusses the impact the extra federal unemployment benefits on top of state benefits is having on his ability to find employees.

• Los Angeles Times, May 13—State Director John Kabateck quoted on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement of $1.5 billion in additional grant money for small businesses. Quote also ran in a story published by the Bee family of daily newspapers, Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto, and San Luis Obispo.

• KQED-FM San Francisco, May 7—State Director John Kabateck was one of the panelists for a discussion on what lessons employees, employers, and the state of California have learned from the pandemic.

• Los Angeles Times, May 7—Business columnist Michael Hiltzik takes issue with State Director John Kabateck’s depiction of the federal government’s extra $300 it added to state unemployment benefits.

• Monterey Herald, May 3—In a jointly penned guest editorial with Kayla Christofferson Powell of Civil Justice Action of California, State Director John Kabateck makes the case again for liability protection against unfair COVID-19 lawsuits.

• Los Angeles Times, April 26—Story on passage of Assembly Bill 80, which aligns state tax treatment of PPP loans with the federal government’s, includes quote from State Director John Kabateck.

• Southern California Record—NFIB’s opposition to Assembly Bill 95, which would require employers to provide three days of bereavement time off, included in a story about the measure.

• Associated Press, April 19—State Director John Kabateck calls on the State Senate to follow the lead of the State Assembly in passing a bill to conform the state tax code to the federal government’s tax code on PPP loan forgiveness.

• Southern California Record, April 12—Journal reports on State Director John Kabateck receiving a call from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s business team hours before the announced reopening of the state on June 15.

• The Epoch Times, April 7—State Director John Kabateck is quoted on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening announcement: “We’re excited about the reopening, and we’re encouraging as many Californians to get out there and shop at your local toy store, restaurant, auto shop, café. Give them the business they deserve, because when they start to see their cash registers flowing again, more people will be hired, our communities will get more support, and our public services will thrive the way they had been before this terrible crisis.”

• Northern California Record, April 5—In a story about liability protection, State Director John Kabateck tells the legal publication, “They [small businesses] want to stay open or re-open; they don’t want to be hit by an unfair and unprovable COVID lawsuit.”

• Northern California Record, March 29—State Director John Kabateck tells the publication that the federal government has to get moving on issuing badly needed tax guidance on the Rescue Plan.

• NBC Los Angeles, March 25—Beth Milito, senior executive counsel of the NFIB Legal Foundation, tells Channel 4 about small-business owners still struggling to get PPP loans.

• The Sacramento Bee, March 24—NFIB California’s ballot results on four questions reported in the paper’s Capitol Alert section.

• Cision PR Newswire, March 22—NFIB California’s support for stopping taxpayer dollars from being spent on a State Capitol annex project is noted in a news release sent by the Save our Capitol coalition.

• Associated Press, March 19—For a story that ran in 151 media outlets across the nation, California State Director John Kabateck told the wire service that “Small business owners need that [PPP] conformity and they need it as soon as possible. We can’t afford for the federal government or any leaders to dilly dally with this critical help that they need right now to get back on their feet.”

• Southern California Record, March 18—State Director John Kabateck laments the absence of any mention of small business liability protection against unfair COVID lawsuits in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State address.

• Eureka, March 12—NFIB California member Lorraine Salazar, owner of Fresno-based Sal’s Mexican Restaurants, contributed a guest editorial to the Hoover Institution’s Eureka policy blog.

• Associated Press, March 11—For a story that ran statewide, State Director John Kabateck tells the wire service, “The last thing we need are new laws and rules that will plunge small businesses and consumers into a wave of uncertainty and fear.”

• Los Angeles Times, March 7—NFIB California member Nicolas Montaño, owner of Los Toros Mexican Restaurant in Chatsworth, told the publication about his opposition to two more weeks of paid leave because of COVID-19 and the struggles of staying open.

• Sacramento Bee, March 5—State Director John Kabateck quoted on a legislative proposal to boost penalties on employers for supposed wage theft. The story also ran in sister papers, The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee, Merced Sun-Star, and the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

• Sacramento Bee, February 25—Karen Harned, executive director of the NFIB Small Business Legal Center, comments on a judge’s rejection for a preliminary injunction against new Cal/OSHA COVID rules.

• Citizens Journal, February 17—NFIB’s news release commenting on the governor’s COVID-relief package is published in the online news site for Ventura County.

• Bloomberg News, February 16—Governors Gavin Newsom and Andrew Cuomo were compared on their responses to the COVID crisis in an article that quotes State Director John Kabateck.

• KABC-AM 790, February 10—Los Angeles powerhouse radio station quotes State Director John Kabateck saying it’s time to open California’s restaurants for indoor dining. The story ran on other Cumulus radio stations throughout the state, including KSRO-AM 1350 in Santa Rosa.

• Northern California Record, February 8—State Director John Kabateck comments on the results from NFIB’s latest COVID-19 poll.

• CalMatters, February 5—NFIB California Leadership Council Member Manny Cosme writes about the destruction Assembly Bill 5 has caused in independent contracting.

• Citizens Journal, February 4—The online news site for Ventura County publishes NFIB California’s news release commenting on the latest COVID-19 survey of the NFIB membership.

• Orange County Breeze, Feb. 1—NFIB’s coalition letter with quote from State Director John Kabateck gets picked up by the online publication.

• Politico California, January 28—State Director John Kabateck comments on the state legislative analyst’s recommendation to lawmakers that they reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to expand the state’s economic development incentive program.

• The Fresno Bee, January 27—In a joint guest editorial, Karen Harned, executive director of the NFIB Small Business Legal Center, and John Kabateck, NFIB California state director, claim Cal/OSHA’s latest workplace regulations are illegal and why NFIB joined other groups in a lawsuit to stop them. The guest editorial also ran in nine dailies published by the Southern California News Group: The Sun (San Bernardino County), Daily Breeze (Torrance), The Orange County Register, Press-Telegram (Long Beach), Pasadena Star-News, Los Angeles Daily News, Redlands Daily Facts, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside), and The Daily Bulletin (Inland Valley).

• Northern California Record, January 25—State Director John Kabateck interviewed about NFIB’s participation in a coalition of nearly 200 business groups asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to take action on their suggested list of rules and regulations.

• Southern California Record, January 21—In a story on the latest SBET, the Southern California Record quotes State Director John Kabateck, “Government is erratic and unpredictable relative to COVID shutdowns, which is not only making it hard for small business owners to plan accordingly but also to hire accordingly.”

• January 15, Red State—State Director John Kabateck’s participation at a Re-Open Cal Now Policy Conference received coverage in Red State and in the Holtville (Imperial County) Tribune. “You just can’t survive from the tax dollars of Target.”

• Citizens Journal, January 14—The online news site reprints NFIB California’s news release about the 186 business groups that sent a joint letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature.

• The Epoch Times, January 12—NFIB California’s comments reported in a story on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2021 budget.

• Sacrament Bee, January 8—State Director John Kabateck quoted on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest rounds of tax breaks for businesses for a story that ran in sister Bees, Freson and Modesto.

• The Citizens Journal, January 7, January 8—The online news site for Ventura County publishes NFIB California’s news releases on the California angle on the latest SBET and the release on the governor’s latest budget proposal.

• Associated Press, January 6—Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $4 billion proposal to help spur the state’s economy is welcome news, said State Director John Kabateck, but most of it would have been better spent on small businesses and not on “admirable but misdirected priorities.” The AP story ran in 100 media outlets from coast to coast.

• Sacramento Bee, January 5—NFIB Leadership Council Member Manny Cosme tells the newspaper of the genuine fear small-business owners have with being taken to court over a COVID-19 infection that may have been contracted anywhere.

• The Epoch Times, January 1—State Director John Kabateck minces no words in telling the national newspaper in a story on the minimum wage that, “We have an official economic policy in California, and it’s to completely annihilate small businesses. It’s as if they are expecting the COVID-19 crisis to vanish tomorrow.”

• CBS13, Sacramento, January 1—Kabateck also called Gov. Gavin Newsom dead wrong on the minimum-wage issue, calling the state’s news increase in payroll costs a “death blow” for many struggling small businesses. The story also ran on The CW31.