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
Paul Steenhausen
(916) 319-8303
Local Government, Housing, and Homelessness
Alex Bentz
(916) 319-8312
Property Taxes, Bonds, and the Economy
Rowan Isaaks
(916) 319-8362
Corporation Tax and Economic Development
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 5 (Highway Patrol)

August 23, 2024 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 5 (Highway Patrol). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.


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MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 8 (Firefighters)

August 14, 2024 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 8 (Firefighters). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.


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MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 10 (Professional Scientific)

August 14, 2024 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 10 (Professional Scientific). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.


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The 2024-25 Budget: Broadband Infrastructure at May Revision

May 23, 2024 - This post assesses and makes recommendations regarding the Governor’s 2024-25 May Revision proposals related to broadband infrastructure.


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The 2024-25 Budget: Proposed Reductions to State Operations

May 21, 2024 - The Governor’s May Revision proposes to (1) administratively establish a new ongoing unallocated 7.95 percent reduction to state operation expenditures and (2) make the 2024-25 unallocated reduction to state operation expenditures related to vacant positions ongoing (it was approved as “one time” as part of the Legislature’s early action package). Between the two proposals, the administration proposes that the Legislature delegate responsibility to the Governor to determine how to permanently reduce state operations by roughly 10 percent. As we discuss in this post, we think there is merit to the Department of Finance finding operational efficiencies; however, (1) any resulting reductions would be made based on the Governor's priorities and not necessarily the Legislature's priorities and (2) we think there is a high risk that the level of savings assumed from these two unallocated reductions will not fully materialize in 2024-25. To the extent that savings do not materialize, these proposals would create a larger future budget challenge.


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The 2024-25 Budget: State Employee Compensation

March 21, 2024 - In this post, we analyze the Governor's proposals to (1) use vacancy rates to identify one-time unallocated spending reductions across state departments through a budget exercise, (2) eliminate the telework stipend established under current labor agreements, and (3) defer June 2025 payroll by one day to reduce state payroll costs in 2024-25 by one month's payroll.


Brief

The 2024-25 Budget: Proposition 2 Debt Payment Proposals

March 20, 2024 - This report evaluates the Governor’s Proposition 2-related debt and liabilities payment proposals.


Handout

Update on Major Recent Housing Augmentations

March 11, 2024 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight


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The 2024-25 Budget: Department of Cannabis Control—Legal and Administrative Hearing Costs

March 4, 2024 - In this post, we assess and make recommendations on the Governor’s budget proposal to provide resources to the Department of Cannabis Control to fund the costs of legal services from the Department of Justice and administrative hearings before the Office of Administrative Hearings within the Department of General Services.


Brief

The 2024-25 Budget: Broadband Infrastructure

February 28, 2024 - In this brief, we (1) provide updates on three major state broadband programs and projects and three federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act broadband programs; (2) assess each of the broadband infrastructure proposals in the Governor’s 2024-25 budget within the context of a serious budget problem in 2024-25, as well as significant projected future budget deficits; and (3) offer a number of recommendations, including additional budget solutions for legislative consideration.


Report

Key Fiscal and Policy Issues Facing California

February 7, 2024 - Key Fiscal and Policy Issues Facing California identifies some of the biggest and most complex policy issues facing the state and its policymakers. Given the significance and complexity of these issues, our discussion of each issue is necessarily high level and does not provide recommendations. Rather, our hope is that Key Issues can serve as a helpful resource to the Legislature as it evaluates fiscal and policy solutions aimed at tackling some of the state's most challenging, but critical, long-term issues.


Report

State Assistance to Businesses in Response to COVID-19

January 4, 2024 - This report provides an analysis of state assistance given to businesses in response to COVID-19. It includes: (1) background information on the state and federal programs that provided both broad and targeted relief to businesses; (2) a description of the industries that received the most public assistance; and (3) a description of the types of communities, defined using zip codes, that received more state and federal assistance. The report concludes with some findings and comments for the Legislature.


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The 2023-24 California Spending Plan: Housing and Homelessness

October 19, 2023 - The 2023-24 budget provides $3.3 billion for various housing and homelessness programs within the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (CalICH), and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.


Report

The 2023-24 Budget: California Spending Plan Series

October 2, 2023 - Each year, our office publishes California Spending Plan, a series of publications that summarize the annual state budget. The final version of Overview of the California Spending Plan is presented here along with short online posts that focus on major areas and features of the 2023-24 budget package. As these posts become available, we will add them below.


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MOU Fiscal Analysis: Bargaining Unit 7 (Public Safety)

September 7, 2023 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 7 (Protective Services and Public Safety). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.