Businesses Need Certainty & Accountability From Elected Leaders, Not Chaos & Permanent Incumbent Protection
Washington, D.C. – Today, the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree Chamber) announced its strong opposition to the Gavin Newsom-backed Proposition 50, warning that the political measure would overturn the will of California voters who passed an independent redistricting commission initiative allowing elected officials to oversee re-drawing of congressional districts and inject further uncertainty into a business environment described as the “most overregulated and expensive” by one leading executive.
“California’s economy is already buckling under the misguided policies of the Newsom Administration that are driving the cost of living and tax rates to the highest in the nation,” said Bill McGinley, President of AmFree Chamber’s Center For Legal Action (CLA). “Businesses need certainty to plan for the future, and Proposition 50 would make matters worse by instilling further instability for employers trying to grow jobs or investment in California.”
In recent years, companies like Tesla and Chevron have moved their headquarters out of California, and the chief executive of the iconic In-N-Out Burger announced plans to move to Tennessee. Bed, Bath & Beyond’s executive chairman recently described California as “one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America.”
Polling consistently shows jobs, the economy, and the rising cost of living as the most important issues they want their elected officials to address. Proposition 50 spends $300 million to rig the system for political gain in what Newsom’s team has called a “shock and awe approach.”
“Prop 50 is an insult to the integrity of the voters who sent a clear message that they want state politicians out of the redistricting process. California’s leaders should be focusing on the issues that matter most to voters—jobs, the economy, and affordability,” added McGinley. “Spendings millions to bolster Governor Newsom’s political ambitions only further protects out-of-touch incumbents from electoral accountability and discourages common sense, pro-business reforms.”
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The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree Chamber) is a trade organization representing American businesses of all sizes. It is dedicated to advancing the principles of free enterprise, free markets, limited government, and American leadership globally. AmFree Chamber is chaired by the Honorable Terry E. Branstad, who previously served as Ambassador to China and was the longest serving Governor in American history.
AmFree Chamber has members representing dozens of industries and from across the United States. Since its founding in 2022, AmFree Chamber has aggressively represented its members’ interests through legislative outreach, regulatory comments, and judicial briefing.