Sacramento County Business, Economy & Jobs Digest

Business owner Bella Luz was born in Honduras and immigrated to the United States in 2015. Initially starting as a dishwasher, she's now opened her own business with the help of a partner.

Hope. That’s what Josh Fryday, who oversees the California Volunteers state office, envisions its $6.9 million grant made to the city of Sacramento will provide to 600 local youth from underserved communities through employment opportunities and career pathways in sustainable sectors.

The union-supported bill, introduced by Los Angeles Democratic Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, would require any “covered health care facility” to pay the new minimum wage to all workers on their premises, regardless of employer.

The deadline for bills to pass their first house in the California Legislature has come and gone. Most made it. A few failed. And a handful of intriguing bills that didn’t pass may resurface because their authors aren’t giving up.

Goats eat a wide variety of vegetation and graze in steep, rocky terrain, which is why they’re an eco-friendly alternative to chemical herbicides or weed-whacking machines. But new state labor regulations are making it more expensive to provide goat-grazing services.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 341 into law, reinstating a moratorium on the expansion of cardrooms in the state.

Workers who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic and are enrolling in a college program have until June 15 to apply for a California relief grant to receive up to $2,500 as state lawmakers seek to cut programs to plug a budget hole.

Gov. Gavin Newsom in March said state relief would soon help flood victims who don’t qualify for federal emergency relief. The state has yet to name nonprofits that will dole out the aid.

Wildfires and expensive rebuilding wiped out their profits, California home insurers say. State Farm isn’t the first insurer to retreat from the state, and may not be the last.

Proposed cuts stemming from California’s budget deficit mean community colleges may be unable to improve AC and heating, make safety upgrades or follow through on major programs and infrastructure projects.

The Citrus Heights City Council unanimously approved a required letter that will allow for a proposed beer house to obtain a license to sell alcohol. A public hearing held prior to the May 25 vote was uneventful, with only one public comment voiced.

The state Air Resources Board voted today to ban the substance known as chromium 6, giving platers several years to switch to an alternative the platers say won’t produce the same chrome shine.

Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled out a plan to speed construction of major public infrastructure and demanded quick votes from lawmakers. His Democratic allies put the proposals on ice.

The Galt City Council recently approved midterm budget adjustments that accounted for tax revenue that came in higher than expected. This has allowed for the development of new jobs, as well as expanding parks and recreation amenities.

UC Davis researchers found that lab-grown meat is likely to leave a larger carbon footprint than retail beef, raising questions of the benefits of cultured meat production.

The Citrus Heights City Council on May 25 is scheduled to discuss Humle Beer House, a proposed craft beer taproom at Sylvan Corners. The establishment plans to offer up to 22 taps of craft beer, with hours beginning no earlier than 11 a.m. and closing no later than 9 p.m. on weekends.

Officials are proposing to increase reimbursement rates for some Medi-Cal providers, who say low pay rates prevent them from taking more patients.

Safe staffing laws have worked in California — and can’t pass anywhere else.

California legislative committees in the Assembly and Senate blocked two big climate bills. One would have made the state’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets more ambitious. Another would have allowed people to sue oil companies over health problems if they meet certain criteria.

More than half a million square feet of office space is now listed for sublease at the Centene campus in Natomas. In 2021, the word was Centene employees would return to work in person by the end of 2021. But two years later, the buildings remain mostly vacant.

Workers from a variety of industries urged Cal/OSHA's board to quickly pass new rules for hot, indoor workplaces.

The U.S, which has one of the least generous disability programs among developed Western nations, denies most initial claims, leaving applicants to endure a lengthy appeals process or face the decision to lose money by taking retirement benefits too early.

The Carmichael Water District and Sacramento Suburban Water District have completed a study exploring how combining the two districts can lead to positive outcomes. The results of the research will be shared at a June 15 public event.

A coalition of California-based organizations converged on the grounds of the State Capitol to send a message: Black Californians need financial resources to overcome setbacks caused by centuries of system and institutional racism.

Tenants from around California converged on the State Office Building in Sacramento to implore lawmakers to pass SB 567, also known as the Homelessness Prevention Act.

The Citrus Heights City Council reviewed the budget proposal for the next two years, and also approved the hiring of a consultant to manage grants. The city’s sales tax is no longer going to Sacramento County, which has allowed for a surplus.

Three current and former Internal Revenue Service employees say that the IRS has quietly built a prototype system to let Americans file their tax returns digitally and for free.

To fight the skyrocketing cost of insulin, California is using multiple tactics, including making its own generic versions.

Rebates from the city and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District could help you make energy- and water-efficient upgrades to your home. The rebates range from roughly $100 to $3,000 for single family homes.

Dick and Mac McDonald came to California to seek opportunities in the movie business and wound up owning a drive-in BBQ restaurant in San Bernardino. On May 15, 1948, they opened their revamped restaurant with a Speedee Service System featuring hamburgers.

The city has a proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-24, which represents the financial plan for the upcoming year starting July 1. The $1.5 billion budget supports operations, capital improvement projects and 5,074 full-time positions, and is balanced.

Workers denied pandemic-era jobless benefits are still struggling as they fight a state employment agency on edge about fraud and an appeals system facing a “historic” backlog. What happens next will help decide who pays for a multi-billion-dollar debacle three years in the making.