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

Feb 20, 2026 - For example, we recommend the Legislature: Do Not Suspend the $3  Billion True Up Into the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA). The Governor ’s budget proposes suspending a roughly $3  billion true-up deposit that otherwise would be required in 2025-26.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5133

California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - The current discrepancy over the size of the state ’s budget deficit —$18  billion under the Legislative Analyst ’s Office estimate versus $3  billion in the Governor ’s budget —fits squarely within that pattern.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

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

Jan 12, 2026 - The administration projects the budget faces a roughly $3  billion deficit. This is lower than our November Fiscal Outlook estimate of an $18  billion deficit, for two offsetting reasons. First, and most importantly, the administration ’s revenue estimate is considerably higher than ours because it does not incorporate the strong risk of a stock market downturn.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5101

The 2026-27 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - Figure 3 General Fund Condition Under Fiscal Outlook (In Millions)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5091

The 2025-26 Budget: Multiyear Budget Outlook

May 24, 2025 - Figure  3 provides a broader perspective on changes in long-term spending across major programs —largely reflecting the May Revision ’s ongoing solutions. (However, the figure also captures the effects of updated assumptions and estimates.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5052

Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - Throughout this period, as shown on the right side of Figure  3, the SFEU balance was generally enacted around 1  percent to 3  percent of revenues —very small compared to the reserves and surpluses of the decades before.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - (On a technical basis, under the administration ’s estimates, we estimate the balance of the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties [SFEU] would be about $3  billion before the Governor ’s proposals.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

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

May 17, 2025 - The May Revision reduces planned base cuts from 7.95  percent, as agreed to in last year ’s budget, to 3  percent. This change increases ongoing General Fund costs by $267  million for UC and $231  million for CSU.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5044

The 2025-26 Budget: Undertaking Fiscal Oversight

Feb 24, 2025 - This fiscal oversight requires assessing (1)  what the key program goals and expected outcomes are, (2)  the extent to which programs are delivering those expected outcomes, (3)  whether programs ’ costs align with expectations, and (4)  whether the benefits justify the costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4983

The 2024-25 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Sep 6, 2024 - This includes (1) $45  million from the Prepare California community hardening grant program, (2) $21  million from a gun buyback program, (3) $15  million from the Seismic Retrofitting Program for Soft Story Multifamily Housing, and (4) $12  million from the California Wildfire Mitigation home hardening program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4922