Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce to endorse Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax proposal

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Gov. Jerry Brown returns to Los Angeles on Friday to pick up an endorsement for his plan to raise billions in taxes in a special election later this year.

The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is expected to officially back the governor’s plan this afternoon, according to chamber and administration sources. Brown spoke to the group earlier this month to ask for its backing.

Business groups could be a key component in generating support for the governor’s budget plan, which includes a call for voters to weigh in on extending nearly $9 billion in income, sales and vehicle taxes later this year. In order for that special election to happen, Brown must first get sign-off from four Republican lawmakers.

So far, Republicans have been unwilling to back the governor’s call.

The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce is not a typical, Republican-dominated business group. While they do not poll the partisan registration of their members, chamber officials estimate their membership is about evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

--Anthony York in Sacramento