Bed, Bath & Beyond's executive chairman, Marcus Lemonis, drew both online backlash and praise on Wednesday after announcing the company will not open retail stores in California.

Lemonis' statement said, in part, "This decision isn't about politics — it's about reality. California has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America. It's a system that makes it harder to employ people, harder to keep doors open, and harder to deliver value to customers."

The statement continued, "The result? Higher taxes, higher fees, higher wages that many businesses simply cannot sustain, and endless regulations that strangle growth. Even when the state announces a budget surplus, it's built on the backs of ordinary citizens who are paying too much and

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