May 12, 2009 - In this report, we identify a number of deficiencies in the Department of Real Estate’s Licensing and Education Program and their Enforcement and Recovery Program. Our recommendations would tighten existing educational requirements, increase licensee accountability for violations of the real estate law, improve department accountability for program outcomes, and expand consumer access to—as well as oversight of—the Recovery Account. (Short video summary.)
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 27, 2024 - This report provides information and recommendations for the Legislature to consider regarding various environmental and transportation special funds that are at risk of insolvency.
February 12, 2025 - In this brief, we discuss major transportation funding proposals included in the Governor’s 2025-26 budget.
February 24, 2023 - In this post, we assess and make recommendations on the Governor’s budget proposal to (1) provide additional resources to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to support its licensing, enforcement, education, and grant programs and (2) transfer to the ABC Fund $48.5 million General Fund over three years that was previously appropriated to the department for a fee waiver program.
October 2, 2024 - This post discusses features of the state's spending plan that were not covered elsewhere in the 2024-25 Spending Plan series.
February 6, 2018 - The Governor’s budget proposes to reduce 11 positions and $1.3 million annually (Real Estate Fund) for the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) beginning in 2018‑19 to reflect the transfer of the Bureau of Real Estate (CalBRE) out of DCA. We recommend the Legislature require that DCA report at spring budget hearings on the reasons for the difference between the charges that have been paid by CalBRE for DCA services ($5.7 million in 2017‑18) and the much smaller proposed reduction to DCA’s budget. We further recommend that the Legislature require DCA to begin tracking and reporting information on the use of DCA services by boards and bureaus to better assess whether there are widespread differences between the charges paid by entities and the services they are receiving.
February 19, 2025 - In this post, we provide some basic background on the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program followed by an overview and assessment of the Governor’s CalWORKs budget proposals.
September 10, 2024 - The 2024-25 budget provides $17.8 billion from the General Fund for judicial and criminal justice programs, including support for program operations and capital outlay projects. This is a decrease of $1.5 billion, or 8 percent, below the revised 2023-24 level. This decline is largely due to reductions in General Fund spending in 2024-25, such as those made to address the state’s budget problem, as well as the expiration of limited-term funding provided in previous years.