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The 2021-22 Budget: California Arts Council
February 1, 2021 - In this post, we provide our analysis of the Governor's proposal to provide the California Arts Council $15 million from the General Fund on a one-time basis to support grants for artwork designed to create public awareness of the methods for stopping the spread of COVID-19.
The 2021-22 Budget: Analysis of the Major University Proposals
February 1, 2021 - This report analyzes the Governor’s major budget proposals for the universities, covering base funding, enrollment, students’ basic needs, faculty professional development, and deferred maintenance.
The 2021-22 Budget: Overview of Higher Education Budget
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February 1, 2021 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance.
Evaluating State Economic Stimulus Proposals
February 1, 2021 - In this report, we offer the Legislature guidance on how to evaluate fiscal stimulus proposals. We pose six key questions to ask when assessing specific proposals and provide specific elements that can be incorporated into proposals to increase their potential effectiveness.
Follow-up Evaluation of the District of Choice Program
February 1, 2021 - The District of Choice program is one of several laws allowing students to transfer from one school district to another school district. The program is scheduled to sunset on July 1, 2023. This evaluation, prepared at the request of the Legislature, assesses recent trends in the program and provides our recommendations regarding reauthorization. It is a follow-up to our previous evaluation, published in January 2016.
The 2021-22 Budget: The Governor’s Suspension Proposal
January 29, 2021 - Under current law, about $1.3 billion in state expenditures—including many that directly support core government services—are subject to potential suspension in 2021-22. Given that the state has a significant windfall, it is unlikely that these suspensions would be operative under current law. The Governor proposes maintaining the suspension calculation for 2022-23. We recommend the Legislature reject the proposed suspension language. Given that the state likely faces multiyear deficits, the Legislature might want to evaluate some the suspension items to ensure the programs are meeting their policy objectives.
The 2021-22 Budget: Extended Learning and Academic Support
January 29, 2021 - In this post, we provide background on school closures and recent funding to address learning loss, describe the Governor’s proposal to allocate $4.6 billion to schools in spring 2021 to address student learning loss caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, assess the proposal, and describe our recommendations to the Legislature.
The 2021-22 Budget: Business Tax Incentives
January 28, 2021 - The Governor’s budget proposes several changes to taxation to support businesses. Two key factors for evaluating these proposals are: (1) which level of government would forgo revenue; and (2) which businesses would receive assistance. Based on these criteria and others, we recommend that the Legislature prioritize expansion of the Main Street credit, explore alternative structures for an elective S Corporation tax, and reject the proposed one-time expansions of the CAEATFA exclusion and California Competes.
Increasing Oversight of the State Litigation Deposit Fund
January 28, 2021 - In this report, we (1) provide an overview of the Litigation Deposit Fund (LDF), a state special fund created to receive certain litigation proceeds, (2) review the Legislature’s oversight of the LDF and the use of litigation proceeds, and (3) make recommendations to facilitate increased legislative oversight.
The 2021-22 Budget: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
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January 27, 2021 - This publication discusses the Governor's 2021-22 January budget proposal to provide $45 million for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to purchase equipment and conduct one-time activities.
The 2021-22 Budget: California Natural Resources Agency
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January 27, 2021 - This publication discusses the Governor's 2021-22 January budget proposals for the California Natural Resources Agency, including $125 million for habitat restoration projects and $4.5 million to move to a new office building.
Update on Community College Reserves
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January 27, 2021 - In this post, we describe community college reserve policies and track local reserve levels over time. We focus on local reserve levels because they are a key indicator of the overall fiscal health of community colleges.
The 2021-22 Budget: Department of Water Resources
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January 27, 2021 - This publication provides an overview of the Governor's 2021-22 January budget proposals for the Department of Water Resources, including $284 million for flood management and $60 million to implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
The 2021-22 Budget: Golden State Stimulus
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January 26, 2021 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 4 On State Administration and General Government (Hon. Anna M. Caballero, Chair)
Legislative Oversight of Ongoing Challenges at EDD
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January 26, 2021 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration