Use either the form or links on the side to filter the list of publications. Browse other LAO products using the links at the bottom of the sidebar.
4,910 Publications Found
March 24, 2026 - This report lays out various options to raise and lower taxes in California and offers a comparative evaluation of those options in the areas of budgeting, economy, taxpayer experience, progressivity, and fairness.
March 19, 2026 - In this post, we assess the Governor's budget augmentation proposals for the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation's administrative and policy activities and statutorily required activities.
March 19, 2026 - Presented to: Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services
March 18, 2026 - In this brief, we analyze and provide background on the primary cost drivers of the In-home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, describe and analyze the Governor’s budget proposals related to IHSS, and provide additional considerations and questions for the Legislature to ask regarding the Governor’s proposals.
March 18, 2026 - In this brief, we examine the Governor’s proposal to restructure state governance. The first section explains how the current system evolved and describes the main entities and their responsibilities. The second section reviews previous governance studies and explains how governance works in other contexts. The third section describes the Governor’s proposal, including its core feature: transferring management of the California Department of Education from the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to a new education commissioner. The fourth section assesses the merits of this proposal and outlines some principles for re-envisioning the SPI's role. The fifth section provides our recommendations.
March 18, 2026 - This report discusses the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB’s) proposed—and long-overdue—update of the water quality control plan for the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which includes an alternative compliance pathway for certain water users called voluntary agreements (VAs, also known as Healthy Rivers and Landscapes). Given that SWRCB appears likely to adopt the update including VAs, the report provides recommendations for legislative oversight to help ensure the plan achieves its objectives.
March 18, 2026 - This post assesses the Governor’s proposal to extend the California Competes Tax Credit program.
March 18, 2026 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight
March 18, 2026 - Assembly Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation
March 17, 2026 - This post assesses the Governor’s proposals to fund the second batch of community college capital outlay projects under Proposition 2, an education facilities bond.
March 17, 2026 - Presented to: Senate Agriculture Committee Senate Environmental Quality Committee
March 13, 2026 - Analyzes the Governor’s budget for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), with a focus on a budget proposal to continue planning the proposed Life Outcomes Improvement System (LOIS) information technology project, implementation of new H.R. 1 Medicaid eligibility rules, implementation of the quality incentive program under service provider rate reform, and an analysis of the cost drivers of DDS spending growth over the last several years.
March 11, 2026 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 7 on Accountability and Oversight
March 10, 2026 - The 2025-26 budget appropriated up to $20 million to the Department of Finance (DOF) to contract with a consulting firm to assist and advise DOF in creating efficiencies through process improvements in state government. The budget assumed that the process changes resulting from the contract would reduce state costs by $500 million in 2025-26, growing to $2 billion in annual savings by 2028-29. This post provides background on the state’s recent efforts to identify efficiencies to achieve budget savings and our office’s comments and recommendations concerning the progress of the administration’s efforts to reduce state costs through this contract.