The 2012-13 Budget: Economic and Revenue Update [Publication Details]

Feb 27, 2012 - Like the economic data, reports concerning state revenues have been mixed recently too, with weakness in income tax payments accompanied by speculation concerning a future bonanza of tax revenues due to the possible offering of stock by Facebook, Inc.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/2578

The 2025-26 Budget: Undertaking Fiscal Oversight

Feb 24, 2025 - What Information Helps to Assess Costs and Benefits? This section describes the type of information the Legislature can gather to try to assess the costs and benefits of state programs. Once program costs and metrics are understood, the Legislature can weigh the benefits relative to the costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4983

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Oct 16, 2025 - During the special session, the Legislature added Control Sections 90.00 and 90.01 to the 2024 ‑25 Budget Act providing up to $2.5  billion one ‑time for response and recovery costs related to the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5079

California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - The added risk variable weighs on the range of revenue outcomes that we view as most plausible. The middle of the range, which becomes our main revenue forecast, is thus lower than if we did not include the stock market risk indicator.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

The 2026-27 Budget: How to Use One-Time Revenue Improvements

Feb 20, 2026 - Although the state faces significant cost pressures due to reductions in federal funding, using one-time resources to backfill those ongoing reductions would put the state on even worse fiscal footing going forward.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5133

The 2026-27 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 12, 2026 - Other Costs Also Higher. Across the rest of the budget, the administration’s estimates of baseline costs—that is, the cost of the state’s services under current law and policy—are also higher than our November estimates by a couple billion of dollars.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5101

The 2025-26 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 17, 2025 - Finally, although we have not previously recommended the Leg islature take decisive action to address the structural deficits, the state ’s persistent fiscal imbalance and the added downside risks —particularly from potential federal actions —suggest a need for a more proactive approach.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5044

California's Legislative Analyst's Office and the Value of Independence

Nov 15, 2024 - As such, our independent fiscal assessment underlies the Legislature ’s ability to assert an informed check on the executive branch, making any added complexity from diverging estimates a worthwhile trade-off.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4938

The 2026-27 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - Borrowing costs, a key factor in business expansions and major consumer purchases, remain high. New tariffs on imports into the U.S. are creating cost pressures for businesses and consumers. Despite this, income tax collections have been strong in recent months, growing at double‑digit rates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5091

The 2025-26 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 20, 2024 - Revenue Improvement Offset by Higher Costs, 2025 ‑26 Budget Remains Roughly Balanced. Although revenues are running ahead of budget act assumptions, those improvements are roughly offset by spending increases across the budget.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4939