Economy

After efforts to unite the West under a carbon-trading program stalled for nearly a decade, Oregon will decide this month whether it wants to follow in California’s footsteps. This bill would make Oregon the second state after California to rely on the market for emissions reductions throughout the entire economy. Supporters say that expanding the cap-and-trade market to Oregon could increase competition, lower compliance costs, and speed decarbonization of the West. But others worry a failure in Oregon could hurt carbon trading's chances in other states.

The head of the chief developers' group is increasingly pessimistic that they can cut a deal with unions to kickstart home building in California—although both sides are still talking.

California transportation officials warn the fight over passenger vehicle standards might affect air quality, construction jobs, the economy — and ensure Californians stay stuck in traffic.

A bill that would allow 10 California cities to extend last call at bars from 2 to 4 a.m. has a fresh shot at making it to the governor's desk. Will Sen. Scott Wiener's SB 58 get a friendlier reception from winemaker-turned-governor Gavin Newsom?

Updated May 30, 2019 Welcome to death watch. The legislative kind. We’ve tracked which bills California lawmakers have rejected as the Legislature hit the half-way point for making new laws for this year.  May 31 is the deadline for bills to pass the house in which they were introduced, a critical hurdle in the legislative […]

After the beverage industry blocked local soda taxes, health advocates in California tried a statewide measure. Here's why Big Soda is winning anyway.

Some say California's economy would be more stable if we taxed the services of lawyers, accountants and consultants. A Cal Chamber study disputes that.

John Chiang says California's public pensions should stay invested in Uber and Lyft to improve worker benefits.

Inside the Capitol’s corridors and pro-development quarters around the state, the California Environmental Quality Act is increasingly disparaged as a villain in the state’s housing crisis. But the act’s environmentalist defenders are pushing back, saying many projects slip too easily through—leading to overdrawn groundwater tables and disappearing forests. And whatever the urgency to build more housing, environmentalists say there’s nothing to preempt a rigorous review of commercial proposals—even ones as visually appealing as vineyards in the Napa Valley.

Loans of less than $10,000 with rates of over 100% have swelled to nearly one-third of California's non-bank consumer lending market. Consumer advocates say that lenders are profiting off of borrowers’ desperation or lack of financial sophistication, and often make a bad situation worse. The lenders say the charge up to 200% to cover the risks they incur. The Legislature is considering a bill to cap the interest rate for such "small dollar" loans.