President of the @CalRoundtable, a nonpartisan organization comprised of the senior executive leadership of the state’s major companies.
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Articles by Rob Lapsley
California Commentary: How the wealth tax allows the Legislature to circumvent Prop. 13
Sacramento politicians are asking Californians to believe a familiar story again: don’t worry, this tax only applies to someone else. This time, it is wrapped in the language of fairness and sold as a “billionaire tax.” But when you actually read the fine print on how the ballot measure is structured, the reality becomes crystal clear. This is not simply a tax on billionaires.
CALIFORNIA COMMENTARY: The wealth tax allows the Legislature to circumvent Prop 13
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Crescent City Times.com By Jon Coupal and Rob Lapsley – May 28, 2026 Sacramento politicians are asking Californians to believe a familiar story again: don’t worry, this tax only applies to someone else.
California’s budget shell game is driving our cost-of-living crisis | Opinion Original
The state budget signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month continues years of massive overspending. Over the past eight fiscal years, general fund spending has grown at an average annual rate of 7.9%, while revenues grew by only 5.5%. That gap represents poor fiscal discipline as well as a dangerous imbalance that’s been papered over by shifting costs to California’s little-known and rarely reported special funds.
Taxpayer Protection Act Must Be Enacted
“This is going to be a nightmare … We’re just screwed,” lamented “Selling Sunset” star Mary Fitzgerald to co-star Nicole Young. Throwing up her hands during Episode 1 of Season 7, the reality star didn’t equivocate in a face-to-camera explanation of Los Angeles’ new so-called Mansion Tax. In April 2023, the city witnessed the enactment of the United to House Los Angeles measure, popularly known as the Mansion Tax.
To protect supply chain, independent truckers need clarity
The imminent imposition of AB 5 on the trucking industry triggered the recent shutdowns at California ports, including Oakland. AB5 codified the employee classification test under the landmark 2018 Dynamex decision. This change significantly narrows the circumstances for someone to qualify as an “independent contractor” and prohibits more than 70,000 drivers from continuing to earn a living under a model that has been allowed for decades.
Commentary: Bold action is needed for California’s clogged ports
By Vince Fong and Rob Lapsley Trucks line up this month before piled-high cargo containers at the Port of Long Beach. The volume of ships waiting to unload cargo at Los Angeles area ports is more than five times normal. Photo/Port of Long Beach Much attention has been paid to the congestion at California's San Pedro Bay ports that is plaguing our national—and global—supply chain.
Ag Alert
Issue Date: February 23, 2022 By Vince Fong and Rob Lapsley Trucks line up this month before piled-high cargo containers at the Port of Long Beach. The volume of ships waiting to unload cargo at Los Angeles area ports is more than five times normal. Photo/Port of Long Beach Much attention has been paid to the congestion at California's San Pedro Bay ports that is plaguing our national—and global—supply chain.
Community Voices: California’s congested ports: a national crisis that needs immediate action
Much attention has been on the congestion at California’s San Pedro Bay ports that is plaguing our nation’s — and the global — supply chain. An intricate and intertwined system moves goods and products around the world through the ports, shipped via rail and truck to warehouse facilities ultimately arriving at stores and homes.
Moving beyond the pandemic to build an ‘endemic’ economy
A pandemic, by its nature, is chaotic and unpredictable. Over the past 18 months, “unprecedented” has become the norm. Employers and employees were left wondering week after week if they would stay open, close, hire, lay off or even survive. But as we look to move from economic recovery to growth, we must start building economic and public policies that allow us to live and work safely alongside a virus undoubtedly to become endemic and part of our lives, likely for years to come.
Revamping 'rebate wall' could save billions in drug costs - Capitol Weekly
News Drugs arranged on shelves at a pharmacy. (Photo: SEE_JAY, via Shutterstock) by ROB LAPSLEY posted 02.08.2021 Twitter Facebook Email As COVID-19 continues to devastate communities throughout the state and nation, efforts by California-based pharmaceutical companies to create new therapies and a vaccine continue at a rapid pace. But for new therapies to truly help patients, Californians need to be able to access all of them—not just one or two.
Opinion: How San Jose can ensure reliable, resilient clean energy Original
Nearly 200,000 San Jose residents – one in five – found themselves in the dark during the August rolling blackouts that crippled California. Wildfires, heat waves, PSPS events and rolling blackouts, which are only growing in intensity and duration, are what PG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission say will be our fate for years to come. And, when the power goes off, dirty diesel generators flip on, polluting our skies and poisoning our communities.
Governor’s Decision on Minimum Wage Another Blow to Small Business
The California Business Roundtable supported increased funding for the CalEITC funding last year and our research on upward economic mobility shows it is a critical anti-poverty tool. But programs like the EITC are only effective when people are at work.
CALmatters Commentary: Proposition 13 works, remains popular, so why are special interests attacking it?
CALmatters Commentary: Rob Lapsley is president of the California Business Roundtable. He co-wrote this column for CALmatters. By Rob Lapsley and Allan Zaremberg, Special to CalMatters Backers of an initiative to eliminate Proposition 13’s protections for some groups finally acknowledged something we have known all along: the measure is fatally flawed, would be bad for California and would shortchange school districts – contrary to the stated purpose of the initiative.
CALmatters Commentary: Popular Proposition 13 works. Why do special interests attack it?
OPINION Rob Lapsley and Allan Zaremberg, Special to CALmatters Published 2:09 p.m. PT Sept. 26, 2019 California voters, think hard before agreeing to changes to Proposition 13, write Rob Lapsley and Allan Zaremberg.
Special interest effort to impose split roll will raise consumer costs.
By Guest Commentary published: September 25, 2019 Proposition 13 works and remains popular. So why are special interests attacking it? Howard Jarvis, circa 1978.
California’s homelessness crisis needs immediate action. Here’s what we can do
The future is important to Californians. Join experts and leaders for the California Influencers Series The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future. By Up Next The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future.
California’s homelessness crisis needs immediate action. Here’s what we can do
The future is important to Californians. Join experts and leaders for the California Influencers Series The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future. By Up Next The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future.
California’s homelessness crisis needs immediate action. Here’s what we can do
The future is important to Californians. Join experts and leaders for the California Influencers Series The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future. By Up Next The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future.
California’s homelessness crisis needs immediate action. Here’s what we can do
The future is important to Californians. Join experts and leaders for the California Influencers Series The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future. By Up Next The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future.
California’s homelessness crisis needs immediate action. Here’s what we can do
The future is important to Californians. Join experts and leaders for the California Influencers Series The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future. By Up Next The Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, San Luis Obispo Tribune and Merced Sun-Star will focus on the policy challenges that most affect our community and our future.
California needs a new vision for higher education - Capitol Weekly
Opinion California needs a new vision for higher education by ROB LAPSLEY posted 12.14.2018 California has always captured the imagination of visionaries and innovators. Historically, our state leaders have backed up big ideas with concrete plans and sound investments, which has paid dividends for California. For example, California’s Master Plan for Higher Education encompassed a bold vision and plan for ensuring that every Californian had equal access to a high-quality college-level education.
Needed: A new vision for higher education - Capitol Weekly
Opinion Needed: A new vision for higher education Graduates await their diplomas in graduation ceremonies at UCLA. (Photo: Joseph Sohm) by ROB LAPSLEY posted 12.10.2018 Congratulations Gavin Newsom on being elected California’s 40th governor. As you think about the legacy you want to leave behind for future generations of Californians during your administration, you can start with our state’s higher education system.
California Legislature can’t let tech start-ups play by their own rules
For more than a decade, the California economy has been defined by the tech start-up economy. While we celebrate its innovations and entrepreneurial spirit, we must also evaluate its consequences to ensure a level playing field for all companies, especially long-established ones that pay good wages, have strong job training programs and are strong community partners. App-based companies – think Uber, Lyft, AirBnb – are now exploding at a rate that far outpaces state or federal law.
Why single-payer health system is too costly
In 2017, legislators had an unprecedented year on solutions to major state issues. They solved the transportation funding crisis with $5 billion annually for road repair and transit — and raised your gas and vehicle taxes to fund it. They passed a major bipartisan compromise on climate change policy. But your gasoline and electricity prices will increase by billions of dollars to pay for it. They passed bipartisan legislation to address our housing and homeless crisis.
California’s economy depends on the future, but labor here is stuck in the past
In 1983, just after Gov. Jerry Brown’s second term ended, private unions had 1.6 million members, comprising 18 percent of the workforce. Those numbers have dropped to 1.2 million and 9 percent. Now is a good time to assess the role private and public unions will play in California’s future. Unions still play very important roles, including apprenticeships to fill the current job training void.
CA Budget & Fiscal Policy is Unsustainable - California Political Review
While the governor’s leadership has been the key to keeping California in the black and paying down debt, the Legislature continues to grow permanent spending based on an increasingly volatile revenue stream. The Legislature’s highest priority for environmental policy is sustainability. Yet today their highest priority for budget and fiscal policy is unsustainability.
Will standing up to Trump hurt California’s economy? | The Sacramento Bee
California’s top elected leaders are making it clear they will push back hard against any efforts by President-elect Donald Trump to undermine their progressive policy agenda.
2016 is starting to look a lot like 1978
When Jerry Brown first became governor in 1974 the state was in a recession. But over the next five years, the state’s recovery produced 2.1 million jobs, and his fiscal restraint created a $4 billion reserve in a general fund of $12 billion. Unfortunately, the fiscal restraint was short lived. California policymakers reverted to old habits – increasing spending while assuming revenues would grow forever.
Editor’s note: This was written before the Legislature’s action on the bills Wednesday.As California’s future climate policy takes center stage in the Legislature, there needs to be more focus on creating a business environment that will promote quality, middle-income jobs.While California far exceeds the nation in climate change regulations, the current program lacks a comprehensive plan to create economywide jobs and ignores rising energy costs and the impact of those costs on families and...
Now we’ll see if Jerry Brown remembers the 1970s: Guest commentary
When Jerry Brown became governor in 1974, California was in a recession. But over the next five years, the state’s recovery produced 2.1 million jobs, and Brown’s fiscal restraint created a $4 billion reserve in a general fund of $12 billion. Unfortunately, the fiscal restraint was short-lived. Policymakers reverted to old habits, increasing spending while assuming revenues would grow forever.
Cal-Access proved in three hours why it needs immediate upgrades
Californians face a presidential election year with a ballot full of important decisions to make. Timely information and transparency will be essential to making good decisions, but one key tool, the state’s official website responsible for tracking campaign contributions, is outdated and starting to break down just as we enter our election season.
State’s economy depends on Latino schooling
Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in California and will continue growing. Half of all children under 18 in California are Latino. The demographic change impacts just about every aspect of our society, none more critically than our economy. With this young and growing population, California has a consumer market and workforce rivaled only by entire nations. The future of California’s economy will be determined by how well we educate our Latino population and develop our workforce.
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