The California Chamber of Commerce released its annual initial list of 21 “job killer” bills on April 4.

The bills, which include a ban on combustion engine vehicles by 2040, a wage requirement for personal services contracts and several that would hike taxes, would each place excessive burdens on businesses in the state, the chamber said.

“Each bill on this year’s job killer list poses a threat to certainty for employers and investors in our state,” said chamber Chief Executive Allan Zaremberg. “Besides undermining the state’s economic health, job killer bills have a cumulative negative impact on the businesses and entrepreneurs who provide the resources necessary to fund critical state programs like health care and education.

“Legislators must measure the impact that each of these proposed new laws will have, not just when the economy is expanding but also when California experiences the inevitable downturn,” Zaremberg added.

Of the 21 bills, 13 were introduced earlier this year and eight carried over from last year. Nine deal with workplaces issues such as harassment, discrimination, wages and arbitration clauses. Four would directly hike taxes – either personal income or sales taxes – while two more would reduce the supermajority threshold needed to pass tax increases.

The list is expected to grow during the remainder of the legislative session as new bills are introduced or other existing bills are amended.

For the complete, up-to-date job killer bill list, log onto the chamber’s website at www.cajobkillers.com.

Last year, the chamber identified 27 job killer bills; in most previous years, the number of bills had ranged between 30 and 40. Most of the bills never made it out of the Legislature and to the governor’s desk; of those that did, most have been vetoed. Last year, for example, of the 27 bills identified as job killers, only three passed the Legislature. Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed one and signed two into law.

Economy, education, energy and transportation reporter Howard Fine can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @howardafine.