CLFP and CMTA Hold Manufacturers Day at the Capitol

CLFP partnered with the California Manufacturers and Technology Association (CMTA) on a CLFP/CMTA Manufacturers Day at the Capitol on June 4 in Sacramento. The partnership gave a strong, unified voice about issues impacting manufacturers in California. This year, Manufacturers Day replaced CLFP's Capitol Day.

The event kicked off in the morning at the CMTA office with a slate of legislative speakers and industry policy experts, including Assembly Members Autumn Burke (D, Inglewood) and Bianca Rubio (D, West Covina). Both expressed their support of California’s manufacturing and food processing industries and appreciated past opportunities to tour individual company facilities and meet with their staff, and welcomed new opportunities in the future. Assembly Member Burke said she thinks many people in the state don’t understand the importance of these industries to California’s economy, and reiterated the need for her and others to help educate those in her district and beyond.

Also speaking at the event were Che Salinas, chief deputy legislative affairs secretary for operations for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, Tepring Piquado, chief policy director at the California Issues Forum, Dawn Koepke, legislative advocate partner, McHugh Koepke and Associates, and Tina Andolina, senior policy consultant for Senator Ben Allen (D, Santa Monica.) Allen is the sponsor of SB 54, a bill that impose costly new mandates and fees on manufacturers of packaging and single use consumer products. CLFP is opposed to this bill, and Manufacturers Day provided an opportunity for food processors to have a discussion about the bill and voice their concerns to Andolina.

In the afternoon, CLFP members met with legislators who have plants in their districts. The day was capped off with a legislative reception at the CMTA offices.

Look for more information about Manufacturers Day in the next edition of CLFP’s California Food Producer magazine.