Welcome to the February 24-28 edition of the NFIB California Main Street Minute from your small-business advocacy team in Sacramento.

Will You Be on Tomorrow’s Conference Call?

— Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 25, is the day NFIB, LA BizFed, and a representative from the governor’s office of small business advocacy will host a conference call on resources available to small business owners, especially those affected by the wildfires.

— Tim Taylor, NFIB CA’s Policy Director, will also provide a brief update on legislation, regulations and other state issues impacting small business owners this year. The call will run from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. More information and the link to register available here. In case you can’t make it, the call will be recorded and posted on the NFIB website.

— The recording also will be added to our Rebuilding Resources for Victims of the Southern California Wildfires story currently on the NFIB webpage and constantly updated.

Speaking of Tomorrow, February 25

— Two special, Primary elections to fill vacancies in the California State Legislature will be held.

Assembly District 32, which includes parts of Kern and Tulare counties, is the seat formerly held by Vince Fong, who was elected to Congress.

Senate District 36, which includes mainly Orange County and a small part of Los Angeles County, is the seat formerly held by Janet Nguyen, who was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

— The General Election will be April 29.

Let the Lawsuit Flood Gates Open

— Readers of the Main Street Minute were warned of the devastating consequences of Senate Bill 222 in the February 3-7 edition. Last week, the Sacramento-based Center for Jobs & The Economy released an analysis of the proposal that goes substantial degrees lower than chilling and into the realm of permafrost.

— From the very first paragraph in the analysis’ executive summary, the news descends into more frightening depths. “Senate Bill 222 (SB 222) is a proposed California law that would allow any individual to file lawsuits seeking damages for climate related events—including extreme weather, wildfires, and rising sea levels—affecting businesses and other entities that have used, sold, or been associated with fossil fuel products. This unprecedented expansion of liability applies retroactively to the year 1965 for businesses and other entities that have sold fossil fuel products and who made statements based on information available over this time. The resulting costs will ultimately be paid by those including consumers who have used or been associated these products. Businesses that legally operated decades ago could now face massive lawsuits for past emissions.”

— Above bolding added by NFIB. As reported in a previous Main Street Minute, insurance companies could get in on the act and sue oil producers also. Given its multi-faceted nature, SB 222 has been submitted to both the Judiciary and Insurance committees of the Senate. No hearing dates have been set yet.

Drink Up!

— San Francisco has yet to crawl out from under the pounding that rampant retail theft and the commensurate other crimes associated with it had on its largest commercial area. Now, the city’s mayor, Daniel Lurie, and its state senator, Scott Wiener, think they have hit upon a formula to fill vacant store fronts and bring life back into the area—more eating and drinking.

— Reports KQED, “If you’re a business owner, this is your moment to invest,’ Lurie said, ‘If you’ve stayed away, come back and experience everything our city has to offer.’

— “The new legislation, introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco), would allow San Francisco to sell an additional 20 liquor licenses at face value to bars and restaurants operating in downtown. Businesses buying licenses on the secondary market can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars since California’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Act limits the number of general licenses that can be issued within a jurisdiction based on county population. The bill would make an exception to increase that number in a specified zone in San Francisco.”

— Meanwhile, the Main Street Minute suspects passage of Proposition 36, sucking out all the legal loopholes criminals were squeezing through, and which Lurie supported and Wiener did not, will be much more effective in luring businesses back to the city than another shot of Jack Daniels and some garlic fries.

National

Highlights from NFIB Federal Government Relations Principal Josselin Castillo’s weekly report

— Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Reporting Requirement Reinstated

— NFIB sent letters to Congress supporting the reintroduction of the Death Tax Repeal Act.

— NFIB released a new health care policy paper entitled, “Addressing the Health Insurance Affordability Crisis for Small Businesses.” The findings reveal a dire prognosis for the small-group insurance market as employer-provided health coverage becomes unsustainable for millions of small businesses and their employees.

— NFIB Vice President of Federal Government Relations Jeff Brabant joined radio programs across the country to discuss the importance of repealing the Corporate Transparency Act and beneficial ownership information reporting requirements for small businesses. “The Steve Gruber Show” on WJIM in Lansing, Michigan, The Lars Larson Northwest Podcast in Oregon, Wake Up Live with Christopher DeSimone in Tucson, Arizona.

— NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case Federal Communications Commission v. Consumers’ Research at the United States Supreme Court concerning the delegation of legislative power.

— ICYMI: NFIB hosted its first Small Business Deduction Summit of 2025.  Small business owners traveled to Capitol Hill to discuss the urgency of stopping the massive tax hike on small businesses. Read more.  Senator Steve Daines highlighted his recent meeting with NFIB members during the Summit on CNBC.

Next Main Street Minute, March 3. All Main Streets Minutes can be found on the NFIB website here. Pull down the California tab in the upper-right-hand corner.