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March 1, 2016 - In this post, we provide recommendations on the following Governor’s Office of Emergency Services budget proposals for 2016-17: (1) Deferred Maintenance and (2) Emergency Operations and Critical Infrastructure Support.
February 25, 2016 - In this post, we provide recommendations on the following Department of Consumer Affairs budget proposals for 2016-17: (1) Acupuncture Board—Curriculum Review and Licensing and (2) Department of Justice Staffing.
February 22, 2016 - The Department of General Services (DGS) provides a variety of services to state departments, such as procurement, management of state-owned and leased real estate, management of the state’s vehicle fleet, printing, administrative hearings, legal services, development of building standards, and oversight over school construction. The department generally funds its operations through fees charged to client departments. The Governor’s budget proposes $1.1 billion from various funds for support of DGS in 2016-17. This is an increase of $19 million, or about 2 percent, from current-year estimated expenditures. In addition, we note that the Governor’s budget also includes a $1.5 billion state office building proposal. (For more information on this proposal, please see our report The 2016-17 Budget: The Governor’s State Office Building Proposal.)
February 18, 2016 - The 2016-17 Budget: Overview of Governor’s Proposals to Implement the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act
February 9, 2016 - In this follow up to California’s High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences, we offer additional evidence that facilitating more private housing development in the state’s coastal urban communities would help make housing more affordable for low–income Californians.
July 8, 2015 - Presented to: Assembly Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Committee and Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee
June 24, 2015 - Presented to Assembly Governmental Organization Committee
May 20, 2015 - Presented to: Assembly Governmental Organization Committee and Senate Governmental Organization Committee
March 10, 2015 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration and Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee
February 10, 2015 - California law has long required banks, insurance companies, and many other types of entities to transfer to the State Controller’s Office (SCO) personal property considered abandoned by owners. The SCO has made important strides in reuniting this "unclaimed property" with owners recently, but faces budgetary and statutory constraints in reuniting even more such property. Since the 1950s, the state has accumulated over $7 billion in unclaimed property belonging to individuals, businesses, and local governments. Because property not reunited with owners becomes state General Fund revenue, the unclaimed property law creates an incentive for the state to reunite less property with owners. We recommend performance measures, or targets, for the unclaimed property program that place a greater emphasis on reuniting more property with owners and offer 19 options for meeting that goal.
July 2, 2014 - Presented to: Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee and Assembly Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security Committee
May 19, 2014 - Shortfalls in Indian Gaming Funds
April 23, 2014 - Presented to Assembly Government Organization Committee
March 10, 2014 - Presented to Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee and Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee
November 1, 2012 - Presented to: Local Agency Investment Fund Annual Conference