Peninsula Daily News news sources
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A bill is proceeding through the California Legislature that, if passed, would require economic impact studies — like environmental impact studies — before giant stores like Walmart are approved for construction.
The measure was adopted Wednesday by the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on a 6-3 partisan vote. It would require new superstores to prepare economic impact analyses as part of the permit process anywhere in California.
Local agencies would still have the authority to approve the projects regardless of what the analysis finds.
The legislation carried by Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, now goes to the Senate Environmental Quality Committee for a possible hearing in early May.
Vargas contends that decision-makers should know the true impacts of superstores before issuing permits. Vargas says supercenter jobs pay so little that some workers must rely on government programs, such as health care and free school lunches, costing taxpayers.
Walmart dismisses those accusations, bringing out its own studies. Walmart says it provides jobs at fair wages while offering an affordable place to shop.
The measure covers stores of 90,000 square feet or more that devote 10 percent of floor space to nontaxable goods, such as food and prescription drugs. Walmart and some newer Targets are the superstores that would fall under those provisions.
