Middle class woes, Sacramento job cuts and CA ski passes. Your 4/29 evening roundup
Sacramento-area readers are tracking a mix of housing developments and policy changes shaping daily life. Here’s a roundup of the top stories on Wednesday, April 29, from across the region and California.
• $100,000 salary falls short in California: A national MoneyLion study found that a $100,000 annual income still lands residents in the lower middle class in California and 11 other states. The state’s median household income is $100,149, with an annual cost of living of $81,674, putting the lower middle class ceiling at $111,277. Other states with the same finding include Massachusetts, New Jersey, Hawaii, Washington and Colorado.
• Sacramento proposes job cuts: Sacramento released a budget proposal Wednesday that would cut 46 filled positions and slash nearly 100 vacant ones to balance its $1.7 billion budget. The deficit stems from expenses outgrowing revenues, not an economic downturn. The fiscal year begins July 1.
• 2026-2027 ski pass season opens: Springtime is the best time to buy season passes for California ski resorts, and many prices are set to rise beginning in May. Options range from the Epic Pass and Ikon Pass to the new Cali Pass for smaller resorts and the Ski California Gold Pass, which costs $4,250 for unlimited access to all 36 affiliated resorts. Independent resorts like Sugar Bowl, Mt. Baldy and Mt. Shasta also offer their own season passes with varying perks.
• East Sacramento apartment project approved: The Sacramento City Council unanimously approved a 332-apartment, six-story project at 324 Alhambra Blvd., granting the city’s first exemption under Assembly Bill 130. The new state law allows urban housing developments to bypass California Environmental Quality Act review. Two neighborhood groups appealed the project, citing traffic, infrastructure and neighborhood character concerns, and one could challenge the decision in court.
• California expands mobile ID to Samsung Wallet: Samsung smartphone users in California can now add their driver’s license or state ID to the Samsung Wallet app, joining the CA DMV Wallet, Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Mobile IDs can be used at participating stores, some TSA checkpoints and for select government services. As of Wednesday, more than 1.8 million mobile IDs were active under the DMV pilot program, which is capped at 4.2 million participants.