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February 19, 2003 - The Governor's budget proposes total spending in 2003-04 of $89.2 billion. This total budget-year spending is significantly less than current-year spending--by $5.4 billion (5.7 percent). Proposed spending translates into $2,469 for every man, woman, and child in California, or $244 million per calendar day.
February 19, 2003 - Our annual detailed examination of the Budget Bill based on the Governor's Budget. It includes hundreds of findings and recommendations related to education, health and social services, criminal justice, transportation, resources, capital outlay, information technology, and local government.
January 29, 2003 - Presented to the Assembly Commission on Structural Challenges to Budgeting in California
January 15, 2003 - On January 10, the Governor released a plan for addressing his projected $34.6 billion General Fund budget shortfall. Although this shortfall estimate and the level of required solutions is somewhat overstated, the problem is still enormous. The Legislature faces a formidable task in carefully evaluating the plan's individual elements and the many important policy issues it raises. It is also important that the Legislature take early and decisive action to get the state's fiscal house in order.
December 16, 2002 - The Governor recently released his current-year plan for partially addressing the state's enormous budget shortfall. The plan calls for $10.2 billion in budgetary reductions and adjustments. We discuss the Governor's proposal, consider its general viability, and identify additional options available to the Legislature.
December 2, 2002 - The role of the Legislative Analyst's Office is to review state programs and make recommendations to the Legislature as to how the state can operate more effectively and efficiently. While most of our recommendations can be addressed in the annual budget bill, some involve recommended changes in law that require separate legislation. This report summarizes various changes to law that we have recommended in recent years.
December 2, 2002 - A series of charts and tables which address questions frequently asked of our office. These "snapshots" of information provide a broad overview of public finance and program trends in the state.
November 14, 2002 - For the second year in a row, the state faces a budget problem in excess of $20 billion. Our updated forecast indicates the following. Current Year: California will end the 2002-03 fiscal year with a General Fund deficit of $6.1 billion. Budget Year: The 2003-04 budget faces a cumulative year-end deficit of $21.1 billion, absent corrective actions. However, if California's economic performance continues to lag the shortfall could easily be several billion dollars higher. Beyond the Budget Year: Over the longer term, the state will face annual operating deficits of between roughly $12 billion and $16 billion per year.
October 11, 2002 - A presentation to the Association of California School Administrators about California's Fiscal Challenges.
September 27, 2002 - In this report, we discuss the factors underlying the major fiscal challenge facing the state in 2002-03, describe the key actions taken to address the shortfall, and provide detail on the adopted budget package.
July 7, 2002 - We did not publish a Major Features report in 2002. The links above will open instead the California Spending Plan, 2002-03, published in September, 2002, which provides similar information in more detail.