Regulations

California continues tussle with ex-offender employment

The good news is that the California Department of Corrections offers program to help inmates become opticians. The bad news is that there are four different state statutes that allow the state to refuse to license an ex-offender as an

CA government turns on traffic court rules

James Poulos May 25, 2015

In a matter of weeks, all three branches of California government have turned against the state’s widespread traffic violations bureaucracy. The system, which subjects rich and poor alike to spiraling penalties, fees and surcharges, has come to symbolize both the hidden

Bill to mandate vaccinations for day care workers clears State Senate

Josephine Djuhana May 24, 2015

A measure to require vaccinations for day care center workers has been approved by the California State Senate on a bipartisan 34 to 3 vote. Senate Bill 792 is authored by Senator Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, and according to the text

Silicon Valley eyes pot play

James Poulos May 22, 2015

With marijuana legalization on the table for California this coming election season, investment in the nascent pot industry has become increasingly attractive. But in Silicon Valley, where venture capitalists have prided themselves on risky but canny bets, marijuana has only

How will businesses react to L.A. minimum wage boost?

Joel Fox May 22, 2015

The Los Angeles City Council tentatively voted to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. The business community opposed the move. How business will react is unclear but there was much discussion during the debate over

L.A. City Council votes to raise minimum wage to $15/hour

Josephine Djuhana May 20, 2015

In a 14-1 vote, the Los Angeles City Council voted to raise the minimum wage in the city of Los Angeles to $15.00 per hour by 2020. Small businesses were given an additional one-year “phase in” period, requiring a $15.00

In Long Beach, taxis to copy the Uber approach

Chris Reed May 20, 2015

The arrival of Uber and Lyft has had a radical effect on surface transportation and seems likely to lead to a big downsizing of the taxi industry in California. In city after city, taxi lobbyists have fought to shut down

CA vaccination regulations gain more steam

James Poulos May 20, 2015

After a fractious debate, the California Senate passed a revised draft of the controversial bill that would largely eliminate the state’s religious and personal belief exemptions for child inoculation. With the bill on a likely track for passage in the Assembly,

Four business reform bills earn support of NFIB

CalWatchdog Staff May 18, 2015

Here’s the analysis of four bills in the California Legislature by the National Federation of Independent Business California. The NFIB backs all four bills. Two are by Democrats, two by Republicans. Assembly Bill 12: State Government: administrative regulations. Authored by Assemblyman Ken

Obesity rates flout L.A. fast food freeze

James Poulos May 12, 2015

Faced with damning independent assessments seven years on, a groundbreaking Los Angeles ordinance designed to fight so-called “food deserts” has been overwhelmed by criticism that transcends political lines. The USDA has defined food deserts as “urban neighborhoods and rural towns without ready access