Sacramento County Business, Economy & Jobs Digest

As the end of 2023 comes into view, Comstock’s magazine celebrates its 35th birthday and looks back at its 10 most popular stories of the year, from deep dives into city planning and water rights to immersive stories on food, travel and wine.

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.

There are concerns about the transition to zero emissions vehicles on Black Californians and how the state will equip low-income neighborhoods with the infrastructure needed when California bans the sale of all gas-powered vehicles in 2035.

A new law, sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, will create a fund designed to fully compensate victims of false advertising or unfair competition.

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.

Humle Beer House is the latest business in Citrus Heights to open up, bringing 22 craft brews on tap to an area the owners called a “dead zone” for craft beer.

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.

In a leasing brochure for the Marketplace at Birdcage, Massachusetts-based retailer HomeGoods is listed as a future tenant for the suite next to Michaels. The location was most recently home to Stein Mart.

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.

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.

A local couple who lived in Ohio for a year realized when they returned to the Sacramento region the area lacked a specific service they could offer.

It has been an unprecedented year at CapRadio. And one of extreme hardship. 
This summer, CapRadio laid off 12% of its staff. And that was just the start of its financial challenges.

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.

Look no further if you seek local small black businesses to support this holiday season.

Home insurance policies will likely get more expensive, California’s insurance commissioner said. Seven of the 12 largest insurers doing business in California said they could no longer afford to cover new homes in the state.

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.

On a fall day taken straight from the pages of a Sacramento State brochure, a bright red table bearing the letters CFA—California Faculty Association—joined the foliage decorating the university’s library quad.

African Diaspora Network founder Almaz Negash has championed investment in businesspersons, entrepreneurs, and innovators of African descent for 13 years. Now she is set to do similar work for the Biden administration.

Aside from Sacramento State students sharing their commencement venue with the Sacramento Kings, one defining feature of the ceremonies has been their live music. 
But not this year.

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.