California
Proposed regulations threaten on-demand pay benefits in California
One new benefit California employers are using to attract workers is something called Earned Wage Access (EWA). EWA—also known as on-demand pay—gives employees access to their earned wages before a traditional, scheduled payday.
Many on-demand pay platforms link into an employer’s payroll system. Workers can log in and see how much pay they have accrued. If a worker needs money to pay for an unexpected cost, they can tap into their wages ahead of payday. Most on-demand pay providers offer next-day deposits for free. Instant access typically comes with a small ATM-like fee.
Employees have reported using on-demand pay for a variety of reasons. Testimonials have highlighted how access to earned wages can help workers pay bills on time without incurring late fees, or pick up new prescriptions, or help manage the many unforeseen costs that come with raising kids.
Employers that offer the benefit include major national retail chains like the Kroger family of grocery stores, as well as hospitality and healthcare leaders like Los Angeles-based Behavior Frontiers. This last company took the initiative to offer earned wage access benefits in 2022 to boost employees’ financial health and mental wellness.
Research shows on-demand pay benefits both employers and employees. One 2022 study by payroll provider ADP found 96 percent of employers who offer on-demand pay had an easier time attracting talent. In another study, 95 percent of employees with access to on-demand pay stopped or reduced use of payday loans.
As on-demand pay has grown in popularity, so too has government interest in regulating the product. Proposed regulations in California carry major consequences. In May of 2023, the state’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) began the process of drafting rules to regulate on-demand pay in the state.
For California employers and workers, DFPI’s proposed regulations are bad news, as they would treat earned wage access as a loan. If enacted, the regulations would take a simple benefit with transparent, low fees and turn it into a complex lending product.
Shoe-horning an innovative benefit like on-demand pay into California’s legacy credit regulations does not make sense. This classification would hurt consumers by encouraging new terms, fees, and penalties. It would also make the benefit more complex and less attractive for employers to offer.
The Los Angeles County Business Federation “BizFed,” an advocacy alliance that unites 240 diverse business organizations representing 420,000 employers with 5 million employees in Southern California, urged state regulators to modify their proposal. BizFed supports DFPI’s attempt to put safeguards around on-demand pay but believe a product shown to help both employers and workers deserves tailored regulations.
The good news is that DFPI has options at its disposal. The on-demand pay industry has proposed a common-sense compromise that allows employers to continue offering the benefit without a lending classification. This solution, which also guarantees clear fee disclosures and bans interest, late fees and debt collections, keeps things simple for both consumers and businesses.
DFPI is expected to finalize its on-demand pay rules soon. California employers and employees who have come to rely on on-demand pay are counting on regulators to acknowledge the negative consequences of treating the product as a loan.
Regulations that squelch job growth are not in the state’s best interests. DFPI must pivot to a plan that accommodates earned wage access benefits. If the department is not capable of mapping out a more productive path, employers and employees are depending on Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature to step in with solutions.
Tracy Hernandez is Founding CEO of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, widely known as “BizFed.”
California traveled to Louisville, Ky., in search of a statement win against the No. 14 Louisville Cardinals (7-2, 4-2 ACC), and the Golden Bears (6-4, 3-3 ACC) pulled out all the stops Saturday evening to earn the upset, 29-26, in overtime.
On the first play of the game, California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw a lateral to his slot receiver, Jacob de Jesus, who then connected with Trond Grizzell on a deep 27-yard pass. While the Golden Bears would not score on the drive, their fast and aggressive play early on silenced much of the 51,381 in attendance.
California out-gained Louisville in total yards and offensive plays throughout the entire game. The Golden Bears never once trailed the nationally ranked Cardinals by more than one score, despite entering the game as three-score underdogs, according to many sportsbooks’ odds.
Sagapolutele earned the game-winning touchdown in overtime with a nail-biting throw on fourth down. California’s first-year signal-caller found his favorite target of the evening, de Jesus, who brought in the three-yard reception to close out the game.
De Jesus had a game-high 157 receiving yards and hauled in 16 of 23 passes in which he was targeted. His 16 receptions tie Geoff McArthur’s school record for receptions by a receiver in a single game.
In his post-game press conference, Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm praised de Jesus, calling him California’s “best player.”
“… Even at the end, to allow their best player to be one-on-one for an easy throw in the corner… you know, we need to coach better; we need to play better,” Coach Brohm said.
Sagapolutele completed 30 out of 47 passes attempted and racked up 323 passing yards—both career highs. In addition to the game-decider, the quarterback threw his first touchdown of the game in the first quarter, a 20-yard bomb to tight end Landon Morris.
The last time California beat a nationally ranked, top-25 team was on Dec. 5, 2020, when the Golden Bears upset the No. 20 Oregon Ducks, 21-17, for their first win in the 2020 college football season.
With the win, California is now eligible for a post-season bowl bid.
CALIFORNIA (AZFamily) — The mother of a missing California girl has been arrested on charges unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance, but the child still has yet to be found.
FBI Los Angeles announced that 40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody on Friday. However, the whereabouts of her daughter, 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, remain unknown.
Melodee and Ashlee reportedly went on a road trip as far as Nebraska in a rental white Chevrolet Malibu last month, detectives say. Federal authorities say Melodee and her mother may have passed through Interstate 15 in Littlefield, Arizona while on the drive.
Detectives say Ashlee was arrested for a recent incident where she allegedly prevented a victim from leaving against their will. Authorities say this crime is not connected to the ongoing search for Melodee.
“Although this arrest occurred during the course of the missing person investigation, it is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance. Sheriff’s detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety,” FBI Los Angeles said in a statement.
Ashlee was booked for a felony charge of false imprisonment. She is being held at a jail in Santa Maria, California, with bail set at $100,000.
Melodee was photographed at a rental car agency on Oct. 7, wearing a wig and a hoodie.
The young girl has brown eyes and brown, curly hair that may be straightened or covered with a dark wig. She is between four and four-and-a-half feet tall, weighing between 60 and 100 pounds.
Anyone with information about Melodee is asked to contact detectives at (805) 681-4150 or submit an anonymous tip at (805) 681-4171.
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California
Home Ronald and Nancy Reagan commissioned as California Governor’s Mansion hits the market
A Carmichael home that was originally designed to be California’s official Governor’s Mansion is now up for sale.
The mid-century modern home, located at 2300 California Avenue, was built in 1975 after being commissioned by Ronald and Nancy Reagan to replace the aging governor’s mansion at 16th and H streets in Sacramento.
By the time construction was finished, Reagan had already left office. His successor, Jerry Brown, declined to move in – famously dismissing the Carmichael residence as the “Taj Mahal.”
No California governor ever called the mansion home, with the property being sold to a private citizen in 1983.
A time capsule installed at the property recognizes the home’s history. The capsule is scheduled to be opened on July 4, 2076.
Now, as of Oct. 16, the Carmichael home has hit the market with a list price of $7.5 million. The property spans 4.3 acres that overlook the American River, with the home featuring a total of 8 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, and 2 half bathrooms.
“You can really feel the history here,” said realtor Hattie Coleman in a statement.
The Carmichael home last sold in 2004 for $4.1 million.
The East Sacramento home Reagan lived in for much of his time as California governor was designated as a historic landmark in 2024.
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