Image by ssi77 via shutterstockOPINION Gov. Gavin Newsom recently rejected the idea of a tax hike on Californians to balance the state budget. So, why is Senator Monique Limon considering the idea of taxing people who stay in short-term rentals and burdening regular Californians who share their home?
A view of downtown Los Angeles seen from the Hollywood hills. (Photo: logoboom, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Perhaps the greatest financial risk faced by Californians today has nothing to do with rising interest rates or a looming recession. Rather, it is the loss of access to products they rely upon to protect their most valuable assets: auto, homeowners and commercial insurance.
Joe Stephenshaw, left, the new director of the Department of Finance, takes the oath of office from Gov. Gavin Newsom.(Photo: H.D. Palmer, via Twitter.)As a budget analyst in the California Department of Finance in 2005-2008, Joe Stephenshaw never imagined that he would one day come back to lead the division. This month, Stephenshaw, 47, was sworn into the post, becoming the first African-American to hold the position.
A photo illustration of California's tax code. (Image: Vitalii Vodolazskyi, via Shutterstock)OPINION: As part of the 2020-21 state budget accord, the governor and Legislature enacted AB 85, a budget trailer bill that enacted several tax law changes, including a three-year suspension of the net operating loss deduction and a cap on the use of business tax credits.
A worker unloads cargo at an outlet in LA's Chinatown district.(Photo: Matt Gush, via Shutterstock)OPINION: There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us. Brick and mortar small businesses have been forced to quickly adapt or face the very real possibility of shutting their doors. On top of that, consumers are paying more for everything while backordered goods have become the new normal.
An image illustrating research into public-private partnerships. (Photo: Ada Ghazali, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The pandemic caused devastating economic damage to our communities. While the job market may never return to what it was before 2020, it’s undeniable that government action, combined with the ingenuity of small businesses and corporations, staved off what could have been even further socioeconomic harms.
A worker at a small brewery examines beer during the fermentation process. (Photo: MAD_Production, via Shutterstock)An under-the-radar tussle is shaping up in California over how beer is being brought to drinkers across the state. The emerging beer battle pits small craft brewers against big distributors. On one side are the small brewers, who charge that the big distributors don’t want to bother with the relatively small volumes of craft brewers.
Counting the cash. (Photo: NATNN, via Shutterstock)When Steve Swanson decided to stop accepting cash at his longtime chain of Sacramento area dry cleaning stores, it seemed to make all the sense in the world. “Cash was such a small portion of our operation,” he says. “Some days we might have only a few dollars for a whole day.” But soon he might not have a choice.
Assembly candidates Elizabeth Betancourt, left, and Megan Dahle. (Photo illustration by Tim Foster, Capitol Weekly)A husband and wife team in the Legislature — again? On Nov. 5, voters in California’s sprawling 1st Assembly District will choose between Republican Megan Dahle and Democrat Elizabeth Betancourt in a special election.
The state Capitol i9n Sacramento. (Photo: Susanne Pommer, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The California Legislature is currently more progressive than ever before, and the business community is adjusting its strategy in Sacramento accordingly. California has long been home to an extraordinarily active Legislature that routinely passes laws with significant and far-reaching impacts on businesses throughout the state, as well as national and international businesses, most of which have an economic interest in the world’s fifth-largest economy.