The 2024-25 Budget: Broadband Infrastructure at May Revision

May 23, 2024 - Last-Mile Project Grants Delays $200  Million General Fund From 2025 ‑26 to 2027 ‑28. The May Revision proposes to delay $200  million General Fund for last-mile projects planned for appropriation in 2025 ‑26 by two fiscal years to 2027 ‑28.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4906

The 2025-26 Budget: State Departments’ Operational Efficiencies (Control Sections 4.05 and 4.12)

Feb 19, 2025 - As we discussed in our March 2024 analysis , May 2024 analysis , and part of our 2024-25 spending plan series , the budget assumed that these two exercises combined would (1) result in General Fund savings totaling $2.9 billion ($200 million of which was assumed from the universities) in 2024-25 and $3.6 billion ($774 million of which was assumed from the universities) in 2025-26 and ongoing and (2) reduce the number of vacant positions by about 10,000.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4975

Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities

Apr 10, 2025 - The remaining include 11 droughts (4  percent), 9 earthquakes (3  percent), and 6 energy and 6 health emergencies (2  percent each), as well as 5 freeze and 5 wind ‑related emergencies (2  percent each).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5029

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Real Estate

Mar 19, 2025 - Updated materials provided by the department in March  2025 indicate that DRE is expecting to spend less than originally projected on state operations by about $5  million in 2024-25 and about $3  million in 2025-26.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5019

The 2025-26 Budget: The California State Payroll System IT Project

Mar 7, 2025 - Provide each processing department with a set number of DART FTEs based on their classifications: (1)  0.5 FTEs for “micro, ” (2)  1 FTE for “small, ” (3)  3 FTEs for “medium, ” (4)  6 FTEs for “large, ” and (5)  10 FTEs for “mega. ” Propose annual funding allocations by processing department to the Department of Finance (DOF), as well as criteria for funding the allocations based on, for example, the department ’s participation in project activities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5011

The 2025-26 Budget: EDDNext [Publication Details]

Feb 25, 2025 - These include: (1) remove extended encumbrance and expenditure deadlines; (2) add a notification period for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to review final project documentation for the proposed Integrated Case Management System / Integrated Data Management IT project; (3) require the California Department of Technology to publish oversight reports every other month; and, (4) require EDD to provide quarterly legislative meetings.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4985

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Financial Protection and Innovation

Apr 3, 2025 - The Governor proposes trailer bill language that would increase fees for some established DFPI subprograms that are facing deficits, as shown in Figure  3. The Governor also proposes language that would allow the department to set hourly examination rates based on its estimated average cost, including overhead, for the Money Transmitters, Banking, and Credit Union programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5025

The 2025-26 Budget: EDDNext

Feb 25, 2025 - These include: (1)  disability insurance, short-term wage replacement for workers who are injured outside of work (and therefore not covered by workers ’ compensation insurance); (2)  paid family leave, short-term wage replacement for workers to bond with new children or care for ailing family members; and (3)  unemployment insurance, the state-federal wage replacement program for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4985

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement

Mar 11, 2025 - Under the Governor ’s proposal, California Volunteers would have about one-third the amount of staff as CSAC, despite College Corps equating to less than 3  percent of the state financial aid that CSAC administers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5015

The 2025-26 Budget: CDTFA’s Tobacco Programs

Feb 14, 2025 - In contrast to inspections and citations, the number of tobacco seizures grew by 3  percent. CDTFA reports that it has developed a more targeted approach, focusing the diminishing number of inspections on retailers who are more likely to be out of compliance.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4966