The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - The hold harmless is set to expire June 30, 2026. Funding increases for State Preschool in 2021‑22 and 2022‑23 were primarily due to rate increases. In 2023‑24 and 2024‑25, the state made one‑time reductions to the program in recognition that funding provided exceeded the amount necessary to fund all State Preschool contracts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - SWRCB must notify the public of proposed changes, hold public hearings, and consider and respond to written comments. The board also may hold workshops or informal meetings to gather input. Additionally, state policy (via executive orders and CEQA) directs agencies —including SWRCB —to consult with native tribes when decisions, such as updates to the Bay ‑Delta Plan, may affect tribal interests.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163

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

Mar 18, 2026 - The change would also allow for policymakers and the public to hold the Governor accountable for educational outcomes. A Few Issues Merit Greater Attention, Including Oversight, Fiscal Implementation, and the SPI ’s Role.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

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: California Community Colleges

Mar 5, 2026 - On  average, apportionment funding per student is higher across districts on hold harmless ($9,491) and districts on stability ($9,189), compared to districts receiving their SCFF ‑calculated amounts ($8,882).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5150

The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation

Mar 5, 2026 - While there is no clear indication that the current Medi ‑Cal administration funding level is significantly out of alignment with costs, the current practice of holding funding flat year over year lacks an analytical basis that would allow the Legislature some assurance that funding is appropriately tied to workload.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

The 2026-27 Budget: Child Welfare

Mar 3, 2026 - What would be the impact on foster youth and families of a different implementation approach —such as implementing only the new foster care maintenance payment rates but holding off on the strengths building and immediate needs components —while the state addresses its structural deficit?
https://lao.ca.gov/publications/report/5147

The 2026-27 Budget: Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) Program

Mar 3, 2026 - In years that the CPI-W is negative (as was the case in 2010, 2011, and 2016), the federal government does not decrease SSI grants, but instead holds them flat. …While State Has Option to Provide Annual COLA to SSP Grants.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5148

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - CDCR could benefit from recruiting from a wider pool of applicants, particularly those from out of state that already hold licenses in their respective states. Removing the requirement that people with  out ‑of ‑state licenses obtain a California license could help with these recruiting efforts.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134