SACRAMENTO-

With Toyota’s North American headquarters leaving California for Texas, many lawmakers are asking what the state can do to attract, and keep, big businesses.

“We hear so many different businesses moving elsewhere. Even Tesla, for their battery factory, we incubated that company here in California, and now they want to put 6 thousand jobs in another state,” Sen. Bob Huff said.

Huff, the state senate minority leader, says Toyota’s exodus is just the beginning.

“We have so many regulations. You combine that with the tax law, the housing cost, the electricity rates, everything, it tends to be a negative job environment,” Huff said.

But Sacramento State Public Policy Professor Robert Wassmer doesn’t believe anything would have kept Toyota from leaving.

“I think there was a more underlying business factors that pushed Toyota to Texas,” Wassmer said. “Particularly, from what I understand, wanting to sell more pickup trucks, better to understand that market.”

Wassmer says many businesses prefer the quality of life and benefits, which come with California’s higher tax rate, such as state social services and environmental quality.

Meanwhile, Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis is fighting to keep companies in California.

A few weeks ago, he took out a full-page add in the Houston Business Journal, boasting about Elk Grove’s educated work force and streamlined business packages.

“Our goal is to be the most job aggressive, business hungry city in the State of California,” Davis said. “We’re doing that by lowering our fees, streamlining processes, creating transparency in our process.”

He feels the state legislature could take a page out of his strategy book.

“If we’re going to be a jobs friendly state, we need to enact job friendly policies,” he said.