Despite Fiscal Forecasting Uncertainties, Multiyear Budget Planning Essential

May 27, 2021 - Prudence dictates that only when baseline projections show operating surpluses (annual revenues exceeding expenditures) can new ongoing commitments or tax reductions be considered. Conversely, if projections indicate a looming structural deficit, the estimates are helpful in functioning as an early warning system.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4443

Repaying the State’s Federal Unemployment Insurance Loan

May 26, 2021 - UI Program Is Financed With Payroll Taxes Paid by Employers. Employers pay both state and federal UI payroll taxes. State UI tax revenues are deposited into the state ’s UI trust fund to pay benefits to unemployed workers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4442

The 2021-22 Budget: LAO Preliminary Comments on the Governor’s Major May Revision Behavioral Health Proposals

May 24, 2021 - Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Proposal The Proposal The Governor ’s May Revision includes a number of adjustments to the January behavioral health continuum infrastructure proposal to provide competitive grants to counties to acquire or renovate facilities for community behavioral health services (contingent on counties providing matching funds and committing to providing funding for ongoing services).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4439

The 2021-22 Budget: Preliminary Comments on the Governor’s May Revision Proposal for Broadband Infrastructure

May 24, 2021 - The administration proposes to create another new CASF program account —a loan loss reserve account —to help secure financing for locally owned broadband infrastructure projects sponsored by counties, municipalities, and tribes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4440

The 2021-22 Budget: Multiyear Budget Outlook

May 23, 2021 - Under our estimates, recent gains in revenues —particularly from taxes on higher income earners —would persist and continue to grow close to the historical average rate. (For more discussion of our assumptions, please see: The 2021‑22 Budget: May Revenue Outlook .)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4437

The 2021-22 Budget: LAO Preliminary Comments on the May Revision Medi-Cal Budget

May 21, 2021 - CalAIM, as proposed in January, would place new requirements on counties to initiate Medi ‑Cal enrollment, care coordination, and services for county inmates prior to their release from jail. These new requirements would take effect in January 2023.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4436

Home Prices Update: April 2021 [EconTax Blog]

May 20, 2021 - All the other large counties in the state are up at least 10 percent, and still have housing prices far below any of those three.  
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/656

The 2021-22 May Revision: Golden State Stimulus 2

May 18, 2021 - The state ’s first stimulus program also provided an extra $600 payment to low-income undocumented workers who pay taxes using an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). ITINs are used by about half of the state ’s undocumented workers to pay taxes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4435

The 2021-22 Budget: May Revenue Outlook [EconTax Blog]

May 17, 2021 - Despite Pandemic, Tax Collections Are Way Up State tax collections over the last year have been extraordinary. Not only has much of the state ’s tax base —such as payrolls, taxable retail sales, and business profits —been surprisingly resilient, but tax collections have grown well beyond their pre-pandemic baseline.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/654

The 2021-22 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor’s May Revision

May 17, 2021 - If the Legislature wants to make different decisions about this spending (without statutory changes or fund shifts), it can either: (1)  use the funds to make tax rebates and additional payments to schools, (2)  spend on other SAL-excluded purposes, or (3)  use the funds to reduce taxes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4432