July 7, 2026

SACRAMENTO — Californians for Affordable Living today announced a statewide coalition and campaign urging lawmakers to focus on policies that lower the cost of living. The diverse coalition of small businesses, retailers, consumer advocates and community organizations has mobilized to push back against self-checkout mandates that would drive up the cost of everyday goods and hurt Californians already squeezed by the state’s cost-of-living crisis.

“California's cost-of-living crisis is growing more urgent by the day,” said Julian Cañete, President and CEO of California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. “Lawmakers have a choice: focus their time on the policies that will actually bring costs down, or continue passing mandates that make everyday goods more expensive. Self-checkout mandates are the wrong policy at the wrong time.”

Californians already struggle with some of the highest costs in the nation for groceries, gas, housing and everyday essentials. Self-checkout mandates make those struggles worse by driving up retailers’ operating costs, leading to higher prices on everyday goods. Recent research found that one in four households in Los Angeles County reported struggling to afford enough food in 2025.

Retail margins are among the slimmest of any industry. According to an analysis of a similar statewide proposal, self-checkout mandates could raise business operating costs by at least $497.1 million annually. These increased operating costs put retailers in an impossible position: raise prices or close their doors.

When operating costs become unsustainable, retail closures disproportionately affect lower-income neighborhoods, creating food and retail deserts that leave residents without convenient access to fresh produce and healthy essentials.

Californians for Affordable Living calls on elected officials at every level of government to reject self-checkout mandates and focus their time and energy on what matters most to the people they serve: bringing down California's unsustainable cost of living.

To learn more about the coalition and its partners, please visit KeepCAAffordable.org.