Tahoe Truckee Region Business, Economy & Jobs Digest

A proposal to set up degree completion funds for California student athletes has met with stiff opposition from universities and the NCAA. College athletes could earn a share of the revenue they generate under the bill — as much as $25,000 for each year that they played their sport. But the bill’s author has delayed it until 2024 after opponents charged the fund would draw money away from less lucrative sports like gymnastics and swimming.

Many California colleges and universities define “first-generation college student” differently, creating a confusing situation for students to navigate.

The Truckee Home Access Program preserves, produces, and protects homes to create places for people who work full-time in the Truckee region to live locally.

The California Transportation Commission awarded the Nevada County Transportation Commission $14.6 million of Trade Corridor Enhancement Program funding for southbound improvements on the State Route 49 corridor between the McKnight Way Interchange and La Barr Meadows Road.

The Nevada County assessor reports that the county’s assessed values grew 6.26% last year, a positive reflection of overall property value growth.

Legislative leaders declared support for a bill to let staffers finally form a union, but the newly amended bill wouldn’t allow one for another three years.

Truck manufacturers won’t file legal challenges over California's controversial mandate, and in return, the state air board will relax some smog-fighting requirements.

A budget deal between lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newson includes $227 million more for the state’s Middle Class Scholarship, part of a commitment to eventually remove any reason for public university students to go into debt. The revised program debuted last year, sending an average of nearly $2,000 to 300,000 students.

Medi-Cal is changing how it pays mental health providers. Many of those providers say they may no longer be able to afford peer support specialists, home visits and other services.

The first-in-the-nation measure to add caste to state anti-discrimination laws, which passed the state Senate, survives the Assembly judiciary committee. The bill’s author refused to water down the measure further.

A union says hotel workers making $20 to $25 an hour aren’t earning enough to live near where they work.

Breaking from over a decade of traditionally not raising tuition for its students, Cal State leaders on Thursday released a proposal that would start annual increases in fall 2024. They say it’s the only way to make up a shortfall between operating costs and revenues.

California health officials say granting the licenses prevents the eviction of hundreds of residents from their homes and provides oversight provisions, including a two-year monitoring period.

After several years of devastating wildfires, California lawmakers want to give hefty raises to Cal Fire firefighters. The deal could tie the governor’s hands in contracts.

Climate activists and some lawmakers want two of California’s pension funds to shed about $15 billion of fossil fuel holdings. They say the move would reduce oil and gas companies’ political power, but opponents say it would be a bad move financially.

Environmentalists and project proponents agree: Infrastructure bills crafted by legislators and Newsom are a good compromise to streamline development. The package aims to speed up lawsuits for solar farms, reservoirs and other infrastructure, and relax protection of some species.

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed Tiffany Schmid to permanently fill the position of Chief Administrative Officer.

Lake Tahoe saw a huge surge in visitors at the beginning of the pandemic. The North Tahoe Community Alliance, which serves as the region’s chamber of commerce, looks to address the resulting problems, such as overcrowding, garbage and traffic.

The Salt & Straw ice cream chain is part of the upcycling movement, creating high-quality products from leftover food with flavors like Cacao Pulp & Chocolate Stracciatella Gelato, made from leftover cacao pulp from chocolate production.

An obscure 1910s-era labor board once regulated everything from canneries to film sets to sheep farms. Why is California trying to bring it back now?

Corporate reports would reveal top polluters and climate-related financial risks. But companies warn about faulty data and a “gold-plated exercise” if the two bills become law.

Following the 2022 opening of the brand’s first luxury micro-resort in South Lake Tahoe, Desolation Hotel has announced its expansion to a second location, taking over the beloved Sorensen’s Resort.

Most of what Californians experience with homelessness occurs along public spaces and city streets. But what happens when a city council member loses her home? Ojai’s Suza Francina is finding out.

The spending change would prioritize housing for homeless people, which children's mental health advocates fear will cut their funding.

The housing market appears to be cooling off in this Nevada county, according to figures released by Sierra Nevada Realtors.

Placer County's commitment to alternative modes of transportation got a boost following two board approvals that authorized the use of Transient Occupancy Tax.

After California’s largest home insurance provider said it wouldn’t issue new policies, consumer and insurance industry groups have ideas for what they’d like to see California do. Here’s how the debate over four of those ideas shakes out.

California’s state budget is the product of a multi-month, multi-step process that involves the governor, the Legislature, lobbyists, interest groups and the public. Here are the key dates along the way.

Democratic leaders in the Legislature unveiled their California budget agreement, but Gov. Newsom must sign off for a final deal. There are some significant differences with what Newsom proposed in May.

The state’s 2023-24 budget has been subject to a lot of political wrangling this year as California faces a $31.5 billion spending gap. The constant push and pull of balancing the budget means that if one program, agency or proposal receives funding, something else could lose out. The Legislature is expected to pass its budget [...]

Last year, California created a $500 million program to help prepare students for careers. With the state facing a $31.5 billion budget deficit, lawmakers want to claw back $400 million of the program.

Californians accused of crimes spend an average of five days waiting to see a lawyer. Shortening that time can help them keep their jobs, and spend less time in jail.