California Governor Newsom Vetoes SB 1047

By SBE Council at 1 October, 2024, 11:06 am

Common sense won the day. Rational thinking must guide policy moving forward.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. - In response to the veto of SB 1047 by California Governor Gavin Newsom, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) president & CEO Karen Kerrigan issued the following statement:

"Myopic fear powered efforts to advance SB 1047 into law, but common sense won the day when Governor Newsom vetoed this intrusive and innovation-smothering bill. Frenzied and prescriptive regulatory oversight via government bodies established to oversee and audit advanced computational systems is greatly at odds with a policy environment that is supposed to encourage investment, innovation and technological advancement. Regulatory law and policy cannot be based on unproven fears or 'what ifs.' The benefits of advanced and emerging technologies - such as AI - have been extraordinary for our economy, and especially for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are using these tools to effectively compete, to more efficiently run their businesses, and to innovate and develop solutions using open-source models.

"Looking forward, we would hope that lawmakers and policymakers at all levels of government think rationally about what they are doing and the unintended consequences of their actions when it comes to regulating AI. More than 750 bills and counting have been introduced nationwide to regulate AI, and at a time when China is pressing the accelerator to gain a competitive and innovative advantage. This is not the time to be smothering America's innovative engines and entrepreneurs. This is precisely the time that lawmakers need to be thinking rationally and supporting innovation and the vast positive outcomes it produces."

CONTACT:

KAREN KERRIGAN, [email protected]

RAYMOND KEATING, [email protected]

SBE Council is a nonpartisan advocacy, research and education organization dedicated to protecting small business and promoting entrepreneurship. For nearly 30 years, SBE Council has worked on and advanced a range of private sector and public policy initiatives to strengthen the ecosystem for strong startup activity and small business growth.

Visit www.sbecouncil.org for additional information. X: @SBECouncil

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