The 2026-27 Budget: Re-Envisioning State Education Governance

Mar 18, 2026 - Introduction California operates the nation ’s largest public school system, comprising 937 school districts, 1,257 charter schools, and 58 county offices of education. This year, these local agencies will educate nearly 5.8  million students, employ around 700,000 teachers and staff, and spend nearly $150  billion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

The 2026-27 Budget: Contract to Achieve Operational Efficiencies [Publication Details]

Mar 10, 2026 - The budget assumed that the process changes resulting from the contract would reduce state costs by $500 million in 2025-26, growing to $2 billion in annual savings by 2028-29. This post provides background on the state’s recent efforts to identify efficiencies to achieve budget savings and our office’s comments and recommendations concerning the progress of the administration’s efforts to reduce state costs through this contract.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5156

The 2026-27 Budget: Contract to Achieve Operational Efficiencies

Mar 10, 2026 - In June 2025, the administration estimated that this endeavor would result in annual General Fund savings of $500  million in 2025-26, growing to roughly $2  billion General Fund annually by 2028-29.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5156

How Have Past Stock Market Downturns Affected Income Tax Revenue? [EconTax Blog]

Mar 9, 2026 - By most measures, the global financial crisis was more severe than the dot-com crash. The state 's unemployment rate, for example, peaked at 7 percent following the dot-com crash but reached nearly double that during the financial crisis and remained elevated for much longer.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/852

How Have Past Stock Market Downturns Affected Income Tax Revenue? [EconTax Blog]

Mar 9, 2026 - By most measures, the global financial crisis was more severe than the dot-com crash. The state 's unemployment rate, for example, peaked at 7 percent following the dot-com crash but reached nearly double that during the financial crisis and remained elevated for much longer.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/article/Detail/852

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - The administration estimates that implementing the Tiered Rate Structure will cost more than $300  million General Fund in 2027-28, $500  million in 2028-29, and $700  million General Fund in 2029-30 (with some potential growth thereafter and ongoing).
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

The 2026-27 Budget: California State University

Feb 24, 2026 - The total marginal cost (state and student shares combined) of increasing resident undergraduate enrollment by 1  percent in 2026 ‑27 is $58  million. Provide more funding for student financial aid. Specifically, CSU plans to designate $67  million for this purpose.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5142

The 2026-27 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 23, 2026 - For example, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information in 2022 estimated that there would be a shortage of psychiatrists and behavioral health providers in all 58 California counties by 2025, with 27 prisons located in counties experiencing high or severe shortages.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

The 2026-27 Budget: Judicial Branch

Feb 11, 2026 - The judicial branch currently manages around 430 facilities across all 58 counties. Its facility program is responsible for various activities including maintaining these facilities, managing leases, and constructing new courthouses to replace outdated facilities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5113

The 2026-27 Budget: Framework for Approaching the Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture Budget

Feb 10, 2026 - The  proposed funding would support the cleanup of approximately 1,000 properties (about 500 per year), though DTSC estimates that about 2,100 properties still would require remediation thereafter. Given  the ongoing public health risks posed by lead ‑contaminated soil to residents in the surrounding communities, the state has a strong interest in advancing cleanup efforts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5116