Lawmakers are Making California’s Cost of Living Crisis Worse
Every mandate lawmakers pass adds to the cost of goods we use every day and families pay the price. It's time to put affordability first.
What’s At Issue
California families are being squeezed from every direction.
From the grocery store to the gas station, the cost of living in California is among the highest in the nation and it keeps rising. Lawmakers have a choice: focus their energy on policies that actually bring costs down, or keep passing mandates pushed by narrow special interests that make everyday goods more expensive for the people who can least afford them..
Retail stores are a lifeline for working families. They provide well-paying jobs, affordable access to food and household essentials, and economic stability in communities across the state. Every unnecessary regulation that drives up the cost of running a store ultimately drives up the cost of living.
Our Priorities
We stand for policies that keep California affordable.
Lower costs for families
Grocery and household essentials make up the largest share of spending for lower-income California households. We oppose regulations that raise prices on the goods families depend on most.
Consumer choice
Californians deserve modern shopping options. We oppose mandates that limit how residents choose to shop.
Strong local retail
When businesses are forced to close due to unsustainable cost burdens, lower-income neighborhoods bear the brunt and are left with fewer stores and longer trips to access basics. We support a policy environment where retail can thrive.
Good jobs
Retail employs hundreds of thousands of workers across California, offering entry-level jobs with real pathways into management and skilled trades. We oppose policies that result in layoffs, hour cuts, and store closures.
Safety
We support policies that keep retail employees and the guests they serve safe.
Issue
Self-Checkout
Special interests across California are pushing cities to pass mandates on self-checkout technology, a move that would raise costs for retailers and shoppers alike, and create a patchwork of unworkable local rules. The effort failed in Sacramento last year. Now it's coming neighborhood by neighborhood.
