October 24, 2025 | Report

Considering Medi-Cal in the Midst of a Changing Fiscal and Policy Landscape

Describes the changing fiscal and policy landscape for Medi-Cal resulting from congressional enactment of H.R. 1 and the key issues facing the Legislature.

June 12, 2025 | Report

Retail Theft in California:
Looking Back at a Decade of Change

Provides background on trends in retail theft over the past decade, discusses some of the possible contributors to these trends, describes recent retail theft-related law changes, and outlines key questions that the Legislature may want to ask as it continues to provide oversight of this issue.

May 24, 2025 | Post

The 2025‑26 Budget

Multiyear Budget Outlook

Presents our office’s forecast of the condition of the state General Fund budget through 2028-29 under our revenue estimates and assuming the Governor’s May Revision policies were adopted.

May 7, 2025 | Report

Assessing California’s Climate Policies:
Cap‑and‑Trade Reauthorization

Helps inform legislative decision-making around reauthorization of the cap-and-trade program.

April 30, 2025 | Brief

Trends in Higher Education

Facilities

This is the final brief of a six-part series covering higher education trends in California. It focuses on higher education facilities and includes key issues for the Legislature to consider as it makes related policy and budget decisions.

April 10, 2025 | Report

Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities

Describes how the Legislature has delegated some of its core powers to allow the Governor to exercise emergency authorities during a state of emergency.

April 3, 2025 | Brief

Medi‑Cal Pharmacy Spending

Provides an overview of pharmacy spending in Medi-Cal, including historical spending trends, assumptions under the 2025-26 Governor’s Budget, and key issues and recommendations for the Legislature.

March 25, 2025 | Brief

Overview of K‑12 Career Technical Education

This brief is intended to give policymakers a high-level overview of the state’s role in supporting K-12 career technical education programs. It also raises key issues for the Legislature to consider.

March 7, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Educator Workforce

Assesses the Governor’s 2025-26 educator workforce proposals and provides associated recommendations.

March 5, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

California Community Colleges

Analyzes the Governor’s budget proposals for the California Community Colleges, covering apportionments, enrollment growth, and various other ongoing and one-time proposals.

March 4, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

School Nutrition

Provides an overview and analysis of the Governor’s proposals for school nutrition.

February 27, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

University of California

Analyzes the state’s budget plan relating to UC’s core operations and enrollment.

February 26, 2025 | Post

The 2025‑26 Budget

Estimated State Savings From Proposition 47

Assesses the administration’s estimate of the level of spending required by Proposition 47 (2014), which reduced punishment for various crimes and requires the resulting state savings be spent on certain grant programs.

February 25, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

California State University

Analyzes the state’s budget plan relating to CSU’s core operations and enrollment, as well as the Governor’s proposal to increase salaries for the Capital Fellows program.

February 25, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Provides our analysis of the Governor’s 2025-26 budget proposals related to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

February 20, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Expanded Learning Opportunities Program

Assesses the Governor’s 2025-26 proposal for the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program and provide associated recommendations.

February 19, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Department of Justice

Analyzes the Governor’s budget proposals for the Department of Justice related to (1) the Bureau of Forensic Services and (2) firearm-related workload.

February 18, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Transitional Kindergarten

Provides an overview and analysis of the Governor’s proposals for transitional kindergarten.

February 18, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Natural Resources and Agriculture Discretionary Spending Proposals

Discusses three discretionary General Fund spending proposals in the agriculture and natural resources policy areas.

February 13, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Proposition 98 Guarantee and K-12 Spending Plan

Examines the estimates of the Proposition 98 guarantee in the Governor’s budget and assesses the overall structure of the Governor’s plan for K-12 funding; also examines a few of the larger spending proposals and the proposal to delay a $1.6 billion settle-up payment.

February 12, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plan

Assesses the Governor’s cap–and–trade expenditure plan for 2025–26 and provides associated recommendations.

February 12, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Judicial Branch

Provides an overview of the proposed funding for the judicial branch in 2025-26; analyzes the Governor’s budget proposals to increase discretionary funding to the trial courts and to start a capital outlay project.

February 12, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Proposition 4 Spending Plan

Assesses the Governor’s proposals to implement Proposition 4, the $10 billion climate bond approved by voters in November 2024.

February 6, 2025 | Brief

The 2025‑26 Budget

Higher Education Overview

Provides an overview and initial analysis of the Governor’s higher education budget plan.

February 5, 2025 | Report

Building California’s Behavioral Health Infrastructure

Progress Update and Opportunities for the Proposition 1 Bond

Assesses $1.8 billion in behavioral health infrastructure grants awarded in 2022 and 2023 to help the Legislature conduct oversight over $4.4 billion in additional grants funded by the Proposition 1 bond expected to be awarded beginning May 2025.

January 28, 2025 | Post

Frequently Asked Questions About Wildfires in California

Answers commonly asked questions related to wildfires in the state of California.

January 7, 2025 | Brief

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Residential Electricity Rates In California

Explores key questions that frequently emerge around residential electricity rates in California—including why electricity rates are relatively high—some resulting implications for ratepayers and state climate change goals, and notable emerging issues.

December 10, 2024 | Report

Recent Trends in Young Adult Mortality

Examines recent trends in age 15 to 44 mortality and breaks out this growth by underlying causes of death. Takes a closer look at some of the major causes of death and notes some key issues for legislative consideration.

December 4, 2024 | Report

Trends in Higher Education

Faculty and Staff

The fifth of a six-part series covering higher education trends in California; focuses on the higher education workforce and how it has changed over time; raises key issues for the Legislature to consider as it makes related policy and budget decisions.

December 2, 2024 | Report

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Download our companion infographic for a quick summary of the issues and recommendations in this report.

November 7, 2024 | Report

UC Merced at 20: Campus Developments and Key State‑Level Takeaways

Explores major campus developments related to UC Merced’s enrollment, student outcomes, faculty and staff, facilities, and finance. Assesses the extent to which UC Merced has fulfilled certain key objectives.

July 1, 2024 | Report

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Focuses on California Community College programs at state prisons; provides background; covers trends in student outcomes; explains funding; assesses these programs and makes recommendations to improve them.

May 9, 2024 | Brief

Finance

The fourth of a six-part series covering higher education trends in California; focuses on higher education finance and how it has changed over the past few decades; raises key issues for the Legislature to consider as it makes related policy and budget decisions.

May 7, 2024 | Brief

Update on Student Housing Assistance

Provides background on student housing insecurity at the higher education segments, provides an implementation update on the housing assistance provided through the segments’ rapid rehousing and basic needs programs, and recommends changes to statutory reporting requirements for these programs.

April 24, 2024 | Report

California’s Child Welfare System: Addressing Disproportionalities and Disparities

Examines disproportionalities and disparities across California’s child welfare system in terms of income and race/ethnicity; identifies a number of decision-making and policy areas that can help address disproportionalities and disparities; provides options for the Legislature to consider.

April 18, 2024 | Brief

Student Outcomes

The third of a six-part series covering higher education trends in California; focuses on student outcomes and how they have changed over the past few decades; raises key issues for the Legislature to consider as it makes related policy and budget decisions.

March 14, 2024 | Brief

Trends in Higher Education

College Affordability

The second of a six-part series covering higher education trends in California; focuses on college affordability; covers changes in cost of attendance and student financial aid over the past few decades.

March 13, 2024 | Report

Increasing Transparency of County Office of Education Spending

Makes recommendations primarily intended to increase transparency of operations and activities at county offices of education.

February 29, 2024 | Report

Review of the Funding Determination Process for Nonclassroom-Based Charter Schools

Analyzes the funding determination process for nonclassroom-based charter schools and makes recommendations to improve the process; highlights several key issues related to oversight of charter schools and provides recommendations for the Legislature to consider.