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Mental Health Services Act: Proposed Restructuring of the MHSA Funding Categories and Impacts on County Spending

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July 13, 2023 - In this post, we analyze how county spending may change under the Governor’s proposed changes to the Mental Health Services Act’s funding categories.

Mental Health Services Act: Proposed Change in Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s Role

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July 13, 2023 - In this post, we evaluate the changes in the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s role and responsibilities under the Governor’s proposal.

Mental Health Services Act: Revenue Volatility and the Governor’s Proposal to Reduce Allowable County Reserves

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July 13, 2023 - In this post, we analyze the revenue volatility of MHSA funding as well as the impact of the Governor’s proposed reduction in allowable county reserves.

Annual Report on Tax Exemptions for Medicinal Cannabis

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June 14, 2023 - Chapter 837 of 2019 (SB 34, Wiener) established new tax exemptions for donations of medicinal cannabis. The law directs our office to submit an annual report containing data on three outcomes related to the exemptions: the number of medicinal cannabis patients served, the amount of medicinal cannabis products donated, and the amount of tax revenue lost. This report fulfills that statutory requirement for 2022.

The 2023-24 Budget: Total Compensation Studies

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May 24, 2023 - As part of the May Revision, the Governor proposed amending Section 19826 of the Government Code to establish a biennial compensation report for state employees. This post is our analysis of the Governor’s proposal.

The 2023-24 Budget: May Revision Proposals Related to the California Model and San Quentin State Prison

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May 19, 2023 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to undertake capital outlay projects at San Quentin State Prison (SQ) as a part of a broader effort to develop a more rehabilitative and health-focused model for California prisons, known as the “California Model.” Specifically, we describe the Governor’s proposals, discuss several concerns with the proposals, and provide recommendations to the Legislature.

The 2023-24 Budget: Whole Child Model Expansion

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May 5, 2023 - This post analyzes the Governor’s proposal to expand the Whole Child Model to additional counties.

The 2023-24 Budget: County of Los Angeles Citizens Redistricting Commission Mandate

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May 2, 2023 - In this post, we discuss the County of Los Angeles Citizens Redistricting Commission Mandate, which is a newly identified state mandate funded in an amendment to the Governor’s 2023-24 budget.

The 2023-24 Budget: Overview of Information Security Proposals

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March 23, 2023 - This post provides an overview of information security (IS) proposals in the Governor’s 2023-24 budget, including our assessment and recommendations across the proposals and specific to the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC).

The 2023-24 Budget: Overview of Information Technology Project Proposals

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March 17, 2023 - This post provides an overview of the information technology projects in the Governor’s proposed 2023-24 budget, provides our assessment of topics common to several proposals, and offers options for legislative consideration.

The 2023-24 Budget: State and Federal One-Time K-12 Funding

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March 10, 2023 - In this post, we describe the recent one-time state and federal funding that can be used flexibly by schools, discuss reporting requirements, and share the latest information regarding how much funding remains unspent.

Correction (3/14/23): Reporting requirements in Figure 3 have been corrected.

The 2023-24 Budget: Scholarshare Investment Board

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March 7, 2023 - In this post, we analyze the Governor’s budget proposals for the California Kids Investment and Development Savings (CalKIDS) program administered by the Scholarshare Investment Board. We cover proposals relating to CalKIDS seed deposits and marketing.

The 2023-24 Budget: Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plan and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Revenue Estimates

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March 2, 2023 - This post summarizes the Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plan and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund revenue estimates.

The 2023-24 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

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March 2, 2023 - This post describes the Governor’s 2023-24 budget assumptions and proposals related to the In-Home Supportive Services program and offers relevant issues for legislative consideration.

The 2023-24 Budget: Financing Approaches for Capital Outlay Projects

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February 28, 2023 - This post: (1) provides background on common approaches to financing capital outlay projects, (2) identifies key trade-offs associated with the Governor’s approach to financing certain capital outlay projects in the 2023-24 budget, and (3) provides recommendations to the Legislature when considering capital outlay financing approaches.