California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - After the dot-com bust and the Great Recession, it took four and five years, respectively, for revenues to recover. Incorporating revenue risk into the budget now, therefore, reflects prudence, not pessimism.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

Building Reserves to Prepare for a Recession

Mar 7, 2018 - The state used proceeds from the sale of long ‑term electricity bonds to finance $11. 2  b illion in these costs. (Electricity ratepayers, rather than General Fund taxpayers, repaid these bonds financed by a surcharge on electricity bills.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3769

The 2026-27 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - For California, the dot ‑com era —when stocks rose and then fell precipitously in response to widespread adoption of the internet —offers the most salient example. The internet has proven to be a transformative technology and, yet, the stock market ’s initial reaction was clearly overly exuberant.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5091

Whether or Not to Tap Reserves to Solve Estimated Budget Problem Emerges as Key Fiscal Decision Facing California’s Legislature

Apr 19, 2023 - Revenues increased by nearly 30 percent in 2020-21 and another 20 percent in 2021-22. In the course of allocating the historically large surpluses generated by the revenue surge, General Fund spending increased commensurately.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4762

The 2020-21 Budget: Overview of the California Spending Plan (Final Version)

Oct 5, 2020 - The budget projects IHSS total costs to increase from $13. 6  b illion in 2019 ‑ 20 t o $15. 2  b illion in 2020 ‑21 (11. 7  p ercent). General Fund costs are estimated to slightly increase between 2019 ‑20 ($4. 3  b illion) and 2020 ‑21 ($4. 5  b illion).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4263

The 2019-20 Budget: California Spending Plan—Debt Liabilities

Oct 17, 2019 - Special Fund Loans Throughout the 2000s, particularly in response to the dot-com bust and Great Recession, the state loaned amounts to the General Fund from other state accounts, particularly special funds to address General Fund budget problems.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4106

The 2018-19 May Revision: LAO Economic Outlook

May 12, 2018 - The typical PE ratio since 1990 is 21 (19 if the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s is excluded). Similar to the price-to-earnings ratio, the home price-to-rent ratio is used to gauge if home prices are in line with underlying demand for housing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3829

Supplemental Report of the 2020-21 Budget Act [Publication Details]

Jul 29, 2020 - Supplemental Report of the 2020-21 Budget Act [Publication Details] Translate Our Website This Google ™ translation feature provided on the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) website is for informational purposes only.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4260

The 2020-21 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2020 - At the bottom of the figure, we display the total reserves planned for the end of 2020 ‑21 under the administration ’s estimates and assumptions. Under the Governor ’s proposed budget, the state would end 2020 ‑21 with $20. 5  b illion in total reserves.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4135

Managing California’s Cash

Sep 3, 2019 - After a period of relative calm in the mid ‑ and late ‑1990s, California faced another series of years with acute budget problems following the dot ‑com bust and ensuing recession. Although the dot ‑com bust was relatively mild in economic terms, it hit the California budget —which is particularly reliant on the Bay Area ’s technology sector —especially hard.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4092