Staff
Chas Alamo
(916) 319-8357
Personal Income Tax, Employment, and Labor Law
Ann Hollingshead
(916) 319-8305
State Budget and Federal Funding
Nick Schroeder
(916) 319-8314
Public Employment, CalPERS, Elections, Veterans Affairs
Angela Short
(916) 319-8309
Child Welfare, Child Support, Community Services and Development, Community Care Licensing, CalSTRS
Jared Sippel
(916) 319-8335
Emergency Services and Business Regulation
Seth Kerstein
(916) 319-8365
Sales and Excise Taxes and Demographics


Publications

Other Government Areas

To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.



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MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 6

June 14, 2019 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections). Bargaining Unit 6 is represented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.


Handout

Housing and Homelessness Overview

June 4, 2019 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee


Handout

Item 0820-001-0567 Bureau of Gambling Control, Department of Justice

June 4, 2019 - Presented to: Budget Conference Committee


Report

The 2019-20 Budget: May Revision Multiyear Budget Outlook

May 17, 2019 - This report presents our office’s independent assessment of the condition of the state General Fund budget through 2022-23 assuming the economy continues to grow and all of the Governor’s May Revision spending proposals are adopted.


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The 2019-20 May Revision: Considerations for the Revised Housing and Homelessness Plan

May 13, 2019 - Housing in California has long been more expensive than most of the rest of the country. In this post we assess the Governor’s 2019-20 May Revision proposals for housing and homelessness.


Handout

Governor’s May Revision Plan to Expend Cannabis Tax Revenues

May 13, 2019 - Governor’s May Revision Plan to Expend Cannabis Tax Revenues


Report

A Review of LifeLine Budget Estimates and Enrollment Process

April 3, 2019 - The California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC's) LifeLine program provides free or discounted phone service to about 1.7 million households and has an annual budget of more than $350 million. The Supplemental Report of the 2018-19 Budget Act requires our office to (1) review the caseload and budget estimates for this program and make recommendations about how CPUC could improve the accuracy of its estimates and (2) assess and make recommendations about ways to improve enrollment and re-enrollment in the program. This report fulfills those requirements.


Handout

CalSTRS Pension Proposals

March 28, 2019 - Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education


Handout

Supplemental Pension Payments and Deferrals

March 28, 2019 - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration and General Government


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Housing and Homelessness Funding Impacting Children

March 25, 2019 - These materials were prepared for an informational hearing about housing challenges and their impact on the well-being of children by the Senate Select Committee on the Social Determinants of Children’s Well-Being.


Handout

Overview of the Legislative Analyst's Office

March 18, 2019 - Presented to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee


Report

The 2019-20 Budget: Increasing Compliance With Unclaimed Property Law

March 15, 2019 - California requires banks, insurance companies, and many other businesses (called “holders”) to report and transfer to the state personal property considered abandoned by owners—this is called unclaimed property. Holder compliance with unclaimed property law is very low—likely around 1 percent. To address this problem, the Governor’s budget proposes allocating resources to the State Controller's Office (SCO) for more audits of potential holders. We agree with the Governor’s goal to increase holder compliance. However, the scale of SCO’s audits cannot address the vast holder under-compliance rate. To try to significantly increase holder compliance, this report presents policy options for legislative consideration.


Report

The 2019-20 Budget: Office of Emergency Services

March 13, 2019 - In this report, we assess the Governor’s 2019‑20 budget proposals for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES).


Report

The 2019-20 Budget: California Department of Food and Agriculture

March 5, 2019 - In this analysis, we assess the Governor’s 2019‑20 budget proposals for the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Specifically, we review and make recommendations regarding the Governor’s proposals to (1) create a new Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division (CPDPD) within CDFA and (2) combine seven separate budget proposals into a single budget document. We also briefly discuss the Governor’s proposal related to safe and affordable drinking water.


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The 2019-20 Budget: The Governor’s Proposed Supplemental Pension Payment to CalPERS

March 4, 2019 - This post evaluates the Governor’s proposed supplemental pension payment to CalPERS and provides some alternative ways to structure the payment.