Corey Rosen
Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) have introduced S. 4623, the AGILE Procurement Act of 2022, which aims to streamline federal procurement practices in the technology area. Peters chairs the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Corey Rosen
Congress has passed HR 4346, the CHIPS Act (previously called the America Competes Act), which now heads to Presdient Biden for signature. The bipartisan bill is primarily designed to make it easier for American chip and other technology manufacturers to compete worldwide, but it also contains a pilot provision (Section 25B) that directs Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) to provide awards for a variety of worker education and training programs, including employee ownership.
Corey Rosen
On June 28, 2022, the House introduced HR 8254, which provides funding for a variety of government agencies, including the Small Business Administration (SBA). In a report accompanying the bill, the House Appropriations Committee urged the SBA to fully implement the Main Street Employee Ownership Act (MSEOA), which was passed in 2018 but has seen only limited use because the SBA-issued standard operating procedures directly undermine the intent of the Act. The report does not have legislative force, but such reports, coming from the committee that appropriates funds for the agency, are usually taken seriously. The report states:
Corey Rosen
At an NCEO Innovative Communication Coalition network meeting on July 18, communication team leaders from a number of NCEO member companies discussed how they use skill assessments. Lori Atone of TVF said they use the CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly StrengthsFinder) to increase self-awareness and understand their fellow employee-owners better. They create a grid that lists the top 10 strengths of each employee by name. The idea is to focus only on the positives, to help identify potential talents, and to make it easier to assemble well-balanced teams. They feel helping employee-owners contribute in a way that’s aligned with their natural strengths amplifies the employee ownership mindset and will increase engagement in a fun and meaningful way. Managers can use the results to help get people engaged in ways that “feel right to them” and find new paths for participation. Employees have responded to the idea very favorably.
Corey Rosen
Massachusetts House Bill 5007, “An Act relating to economic growth and relief for the Commonwealth,” has passed the Massachusetts House without dissent. Among its many provisions, it would establish the Massachusetts Employee Ownership Center within the state government. In 2019, the state agreed to fund the Center as a separate entity operated by the ICA Group, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that provides employee ownership consulting.
Corey Rosen
Back in 2000, Clif Bar & Company owner Gary Erickson was offered $120 million by Quaker Oats to sell the company he started just eight years earlier. Erickson said the company was not for sale.
Corey Rosen
America is facing a crisis of social trust. Measure after measure confirms we increasingly don’t trust our institutions or each other. There are a lot of reasons for this, including people being less involved in group activities, the rise of the internet, cable news, and growing economic insecurity. This is all made worse by the fact that a tiny percentage of the population owns most of America, creating a sense among all sides that the system is just unfair.
Corey Rosen
Following a 63-0 vote in the New York Senate, the New York State Assembly passed S. 5261 with a 146-1 vote. The bill would allow majority-owned ESOPs to qualify under New York corporate practice rules for engineering, architectural, landscape architectural, or land survey firms if 75% or more of the company’s voting trustees or ESOP plan committee (often the board of directors) are members of the profession. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk for signature.
Corey Rosen
California Senate Bill 1407, the Expanding Employee Ownership Act, has passed without dissent in the California Senate. As discussed in a previous post, this bill, if it becomes law, would be the most significant step forward by a state yet in promoting employee ownership. Introduced by Senator Josh Becker, the bill would provide outreach funding, access to transaction financing, and financial support for technical assistance for conversions to employee ownership. While the bill appears to have no opposition and has been endorsed by a wide variety of groups, letters to Assembly members in support of the bill would help move it forward. California legislation often serves as a model for other states, so its impact could well go beyond the state.
