Welcome to California Inc., the weekly newsletter of the L.A. Times Business section. I'm Business columnist David Lazarus, and here's a rundown of upcoming stories this week and the highlights of last week.
Looking Ahead
Bills to ponder: Fixing roads and regulating tobacco will top the agenda today when the California Legislature returns from its summer recess. Lawmakers have proposed tax and fee hikes to help produce $6 billion a year for highway and bridge maintenance. They also will consider bills to restrict access to electronic cigarettes, ban tobacco from schools and expand smoke-free workplace laws.