The 2026-27 Budget: Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation Proposals

Mar 19, 2026 - Because the Legislature already signed off on LCI ’s plans to establish its own IT office, providing additional funding to complete that transition and ensure the systems are safe and secure would be consistent with previous legislative decisions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5167

The 2026-27 Budget: Permitting Support at the State Water Resources Control Board

Mar 2, 2026 - We recommend the Legislature consider some or all of the statutory amendments identified by SWRCB to align state procedures and requirements more closely with the federal approach, while evaluating trade-offs related to public participation and environmental review.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5144

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

Feb 10, 2026 - Even Proposals With Strong Justifications Come With Trade ‑Offs. The Legislature may find it needs to approve some level of new expenditures —even from the General Fund —such as to address pressing health and safety concerns.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5116

The 2026-27 Budget: Cap-and-Invest Expenditure Plan

Feb 10, 2026 - While this rationale is reasonable, this approach is not without trade ‑offs. Most notably, because including state operations expenditures as part of Tier 1 means they receive first priority for available GGRF, adding new activities to this category can have the effect of gradually “crowding out ” other GGRF ‑funded programs and activities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Elimination of State Environmental Positions

Feb 17, 2026 - Eliminating these positions consequently would come with serious trade-offs. Positions May Address Important Needs Despite Being Vacant. The administration targeted vacant positions to achieve budgetary savings.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5124

The 2026-27 Budget: California Public Utilities Commission’s Implementation of AB 1207

Feb 10, 2026 - …And Also Presents Funding Trade-Offs. We expect that minimal, if any, new resources would be required for CPUC to undertake a simple approach to implementing AB  1207. However, the commission estimates needing significantly more resources —seven ongoing positions and a consulting contract —to implement its proposed, more complex approach.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5120

Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Cap-and-Trade Reauthorization

May 7, 2025 - A trade ‑off of this option is that it likely would increase the price of offsets and decrease their use, which would increase overall compliance costs for emitters (and associated costs to consumers).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5042

Overview of New Updates to the Cap-and-Invest Program

Dec 9, 2025 - Continued and robust legislative oversight will be key to helping ensure that the cap ‑and ‑invest program operates effectively and balances competing policy trade ‑offs in a way that is consistent with legislative  priorities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5097

The 2025-26 Budget: Cap-and-Trade Expenditure Plan

Feb 12, 2025 - Using GGRF to Backfill MVA Comes With Trade ‑Offs. The proposed fund shifts come with notable trade ‑offs, as we discuss in further detail in The 2025 ‑26 Budget: Transportation Proposals . For example, a key advantage is that they allow the state to continue to keep MVA balanced in 2025 ‑26 without raising vehicle fees or reducing service levels.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4960

The 2025-26 Budget: Various California Air Resources Board Proposals

Feb 24, 2025 - Assessment Potential Trade ‑Offs Associated With Shift to E15. Recent reports have highlighted various potential trade ‑offs associated with E15. For  example, in August 2024, the California Energy Commission issued a Transportation Fuels Assessment that found that E15 likely would reduce gasoline prices and may present fewer environmental harms than E10.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4980