El Dorado County Business, Economy & Jobs Digest

Sean Loloee, a first-term Sacramento councilmember, has resigned from office—a move that came weeks after he was federally indicted on charges related to his business Viva Supermarkets.

High prices at hospitals in Monterey County are “an anomaly even among the most expensive” communities in California. One insurance plan there saves money by paying for members’ travel to other counties for procedures.

Pioneer Community Energy, a not-for-profit electricity provider, is expanding service into Grass Valley and Nevada City beginning in January 2024.

The dawn of 2024 meant that California’s minimum wage rose from $15.50 to $16 an hour. That puts the Golden State at the second-highest minimum wage for a U.S. state, trailing only Washington state at $16.28 an hour.

A 2021 law passed by the California legislature went into effect Jan. 1, requiring major retailers to maintain an aisle of toys marketed to people of either gender. The bill’s author, Evan Low, said the legislation will help kids “express themselves freely and without bias.”

The closure of two locations in the Sacramento region is part of nationwide store shutdowns following Rite Aid’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The Placerville store is set to close Jan. 8, while the Auburn store will shutter Jan. 15.

Just as you might intend to change your diet or workout plan, resolve to make changes that will allow you to meet financial goals.

Under two new laws, employers in California can’t ask workers about their use of cannabis outside the workplace and can’t use hair or urine tests. Employees in construction are excluded, as are applicants for federal jobs with background checks.

Under a new law, employees in California are guaranteed five paid sick days a year, two days more than previously. Worker advocacy groups say the benefit is needed, but business groups warn of additional costs.

A tribe’s bid for federal recognition is getting a boost from a member of Congress who introduced legislation to extend acknowledgement status to the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation and create a reservation within Los Angeles County.

The California Faculty Association has announced it will strike in January at the state’s 23 CSU campuses. It’s part of an ongoing effort by the group to obtain a 12% raise for the 29,000 professors and lecturers it represents.

California fast-food workers will earn a $20 minimum wage in April. Other employers might have to raise their pay floor to recruit and retain staff.

The financial blow from California’s out-migration has been cushioned by the kinds of people moving into the state: The newcomers generally earned more money than those who left. Now that long-standing trend has reversed.

Farmland is being rezoned for industrial use, and massive warehouses are being built on spec near communities like Buttonwillow and Shafter, so goods coming through the Southern California ports can be shipped quickly throughout the western United States.

The El Dorado Hills Community Services District has opted to use cash funds to purchase 55 acres of the old Executive Golf Course from Serrano Associates.

Google has agreed to pay $700 million and will make changes to its app store it has resisted for years in order to resolve a lawsuit over whether its app store is an illegal monopoly.

Salmon populations in the Scott and Shasta rivers have crashed, so state officials are about to restrict irrigation again. And the controversial rules may even become permanent.

The number of nursing students enrolling in high-priced private programs has nearly doubled over the past 10 years as the state’s public universities have stagnated in growth. Private universities charge up to seven times the tuition of public schools for a bachelor’s degree, but nurses say their starting salaries are worth the cost.

The California Occupational Safety & Health Standards Board is strengthening protections for stone cutters who have been breathing dangerous silica dust. At least 10 stone cutters have died in the past five years from silicosis.

California’s projected $68 billion deficit has led to a number of cost-saving measures. Among them, a popular program for state workers to cash in unused vacation time has been paused.

The Exclusive Poultry Inc. agreed to pay $3.8 million in wages, damages and penalties in part for hiring children for dangerous work. The case is one of hundreds federal labor officials investigated last year.

Higher-income workers are more likely to work from home, analysis of recent census data shows. Lower-income workers can face long and solitary commutes to get to work.

Harjinder Shergill-Chima has been appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom as the new director of the California State Lottery. Shergill-Chima, the first Indian American to serve in the role, takes over for Alva Johnson.

Californians have said they experienced added difficulty over the past year in getting car insurance. Insurer rates have gone up more than usual.

How do you thank someone who has dedicated 45 years of their life to the needs of Georgetown Divide’s pets? That is what Irene K. Sakaishi has done since opening the Black Oak Animal Hospital in 1979.

This January, Sierra Commons begins a five-week course to teach food entrepreneurs how to bring products to market.

Profits have been down for cannabis operators in California in recent years. While the industry is still big business in the state, it faces an uncertain future.

A recent investigation by Voice of San Diego revealed that nonprofits that provide staff at local stadiums could be raising money without doing charity work, while also paying labor below minimum wage and under the table. Now, multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating.

An Alameda County judge ruled on Nov. 22 that the city of Oakland thwarted a proposed coal export terminal. The judge will rule if the developer who sued is entitled to $159 million in damages or moving forward with the project.

The California Faculty Association is seeking a 12 percent pay increase, while university officials counter with 5 percent in each of the next three years.

With nine months’ experience in the Assembly, Liz Ortega will lead the Labor committee after a strike-filled summer and several wins for low-wage workers.

A new study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has found that approximately 3,400 kilotons of lithium are located below Imperial County in Southern California. This could produce more than $7 billion in lithium carbonate annually, helping power significant numbers of electric vehicles.