Recap from 2009 CALSAGA PR & Advocacy Week

On May 6-7, the CALSAGA Board of Directors  and various member companies converged on Sacramento as part of our 2009 PR & Advocacy Week.   On Wednesday May 6, CALSAGA lobbyist Kelly Jensen and association staff led a consortium of members through the Capitol for our 2009 Legislative Day.

CALSAGA members met with legislators, representatives from the Governor’s Office and other key committee consultants on the most pressing issues facing our industry – meal period reform and the regulation of proprietary employers.  In some cases, CALSAGA was also able to communicate other legislative priorities including, future legislation that would increase penalties on assaulting a security officer.

In the evening, CALSAGA hosted a reception in support of our Security PAC.   The money raised for the PAC goes to supporting legislators who support CALSAGA and our industry.  Following the reception, CALSAGA hosted a dinner for Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) who has long been a supporter of our organization and industry.   Senator Maldonado addressed our members explaining how much he appreciated our relationship over the last several years and how he looks forward to continuing to work with us in the future. 

On May 7, CALSAGA hosted a breakfast for Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) in recognition of her being names as our 2008 Legislator of the Year!  Assemblywoman Hayashi has shown great leadership to our organization and industry by delivering a key vote on SB 666 in 2007 that put forth a training requirement for proprietary security officers and equally important, she is the author of AB 1235 this year that would provide our industry much-needed meal period reform. 

In accepting the award, Assemblywoman Hayashi was very grateful for the support and vowed to continue to work with us on meal period reform, even if her bill this year fails to garner up the necessary support.   Usually lobbyists or industry approach legislators to author a bill, but in this case, Assemblywoman Hayashi approached CALSAGA to run a bill because in her words, “it just made good policy sense”.

We congratulate Assemblywoman Hayashi and thank every member who traveled to Sacramento to participate in the week’s events.  All said, it was a successful week and further solidified our position in the Capitol.