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June 27, 2025 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 9 (Professional Engineers). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.
June 27, 2025 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 12 (Craft and Maintenance). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.
June 23, 2025 - We reviewed the proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) for Bargaining Unit 6 (Corrections). This review is pursuant to Section 19829.5 of the Government Code.
May 19, 2025 - This is our analysis of the Governor’s May Revision proposal to (1) not fund scheduled pay increases to state employees established in ratified labor agreements and (2) authorize the Department of Finance (DOF) to impose reductions to employee compensation if collective bargaining agreements to achieve savings are not in place by July 1, 2025.
April 10, 2025 - In this report, we describe how the Legislature has delegated some of its core powers to allow the Governor to exercise emergency authorities during a state of emergency. Next, we assess the degree to which this is necessary to facilitate emergency response and whether there are adequate oversight mechanisms in place. Finally, we make various recommendations intended to allow the Legislature to exercise more of its core powers and ensure there is adequate oversight of the Governor during emergencies.
April 3, 2025 - In this post, we assess administration-proposed trailer bill language that would increase certain fees charged by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation and make recommendations to help ensure the department has the resources it needs to meet its oversight and regulatory mission.
March 19, 2025 - In this post, we assess key drivers of the structural imbalance of the Department of Real Estate’s primary source of funding—the state Real Estate Fund—and make recommendations to help ensure solvency.
March 18, 2025 - The Governor’s budget includes several proposals under the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). In this post we evaluate and provide recommendations for three of these proposals: California Competes Grants, California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprises Grant Program, and CHIPS.
March 11, 2025 - This post contains assessments and recommendations related to two proposed budget augmentations: the College Corps program and a new Belonging Campaign.
March 7, 2025 - This post provides issues for legislative consideration, as well as questions for the Legislature to ask, ahead of an expected May Revision budget proposal to fund development and implementation of the California State Payroll System information technology project.
February 25, 2025 - Presented to: Joint Legislative Budget Committee
February 25, 2025 - In this post, we provide background on state agencies in California government in general; the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing (BCSH) Agency, in particular; and the process for reorganizing state government. Next, we describe our understanding, based on discussions with the administration and available information at this time, of the Governor’s intent to reorganize BCSH. We conclude by providing key considerations for the Legislature when evaluating the Governor’s proposal when it is received in the Spring.
February 25, 2025 - The post assesses the adminstration's 2025-26 proposal for the fourth year of information technology (IT) modernization at the Employment Development Department (EDD). The portfolio, known as EDDNext, is now entering a critical phase, when aging IT systems that manage worker claims for Disability Insurance, Paid Family Leave, and Unemployment Insurance are to be replaced with new, integrated IT systems. Given this critical phase, as well as recent unscheduled changes and fund shifts within the EDDNext portfolio, we recommend the Legislature include stronger oversight tools going forward. These include: (1) remove extended encumbrance and expenditure deadlines; (2) add a notification period for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to review final project documentation for the proposed Integrated Case Management System / Integrated Data Management IT project; (3) require the California Department of Technology to publish oversight reports every other month; and, (4) require EDD to provide quarterly legislative meetings.
February 24, 2025 - In this post, we provide an assessment of the administration’s request to effectively extend the pilot phase of the Office of Emergency Service’s Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Assistance Fund.
February 20, 2025 - This post provides our assessment of a California Military Department proposal to spend $419,000 in 2025-26 (and $5.5 million in subsequent years) to construct a STARBASE classroom building at Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base.