At a time when 2.26 million Californians are searching for
work and our economy is on life support, Democrats and Republicans should be
doing everything they can to encourage new investment and jobs in our
state.  But when given the chance
to foster a stronger economy, Sacramento Democrats said no.

Last week, I presented Assembly Bill 1833, common-sense
legislation that I co-authored with Assembly Republican Leader Martin Garrick,
to require state agencies to first conduct an independent economic analysis of
a proposed new or revised state regulation before it takes effect.  Our bill would simply require
bureaucrats to weigh the impacts of new regulations on California jobs and post
the information online.  It would
not block or repeal any regulations needed to protect the public.

When presented the opportunity to pass responsible reforms
to stimulate the economy and spur job creation, the Democrats on the Assembly
Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection Committee killed our proposal on
a party-line vote.  They joined
with union bosses to crush a bill that was meant to protect small businesses
and restore our economy, ignoring the mounting evidence that costly
regulations are driving jobs away to other states.

In recent months, my Republican colleagues and I have met
with countless business owners who have left California because they couldn’t
afford the high taxes and regulatory costs.  Right now, state bureaucrats who have little business
experience or have never created a job in their life have the power to impose
crippling state regulations without considering the costs or practical effects.

For example, the state Air Resources Board had proposed new
"cool car" rules
to require cars to have a clear and reflective glaze on windows as a way to
fight global warming.  These rules
could make cars more expensive and reduce sales, which would endanger
jobs.  But the Board did nothing to
weigh the possible ramifications of the rules on our economy and was in the
process of finalizing them, until law enforcement agencies said that the glaze
could interfere with the electronic monitoring of ankle bracelets on paroled
felons.  Only then did the Board
step back and shelve the rules for the time being.

The state simply cannot issue new regulations because they
sound good and pretend they have no negative impacts.  Each regulation does have an impact on someone, and it only
makes sense that we study it and make those findings public.  Sacramento Democrats apparently think
that the status quo is good enough, even though the state is bleeding more and
more jobs each month.  We can and
must do better.

Democrats will have the opportunity to redeem themselves and
join with Republicans to stop the crushing regulations that are hurting job
creation.  AB 1833 is just one of 17 common-sense reforms to
spur job growth and stimulate the economy included in the Assembly Republican
"California Jobs First" package.  We will continue to fight hard for
our other 16 reforms that if passed, would lower the costs of doing business in
the state and provide incentives to encourage job retention and creation.

The clock is ticking to pass the pro-jobs legislation that
will spur economic recovery in our communities as soon as possible.  I represent an Assembly District that
is hurting from high double-digit unemployment and my constituents want jobs,
not more government handouts or burdensome mandates that chase employers
away.  It’s time for Sacramento to
wake up and realize that the number of regulations we have do affect jobs.

Please visit the Assembly
Republican "California Jobs First" site at
www.cajobsfirst.com to learn more
about what my Republican colleagues and I are doing to help get people back to
work.

Assemblyman
Dan Logue, R-Linda, represents the 3rd Assembly District in the California
Legislature. He is Vice-Chair of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic
Development and the Economy, and Chairman of the Assembly Republican Task Force
on Jobs and the Economy.