This report focuses on the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on small businesses and working Californians, and argues that California lawmakers should remove restrictions on commercial activity to level the playing field between rich and poor. The report notes that states with strict stay-at-home orders have faced negative consequences, including increased alcoholism, suicide, physical and mental health problems, and financial shortfalls. California has been among the strictest states in terms of COVID-19 distancing measures, with a statewide stay-at-home order and closure of non-essential businesses in March 2020, and reimposing them in December 2020. The report suggests that California lawmakers should remove restrictions on commercial activity to support small businesses and promote economic prosperity.
