Updating the California Necessities Index

Aug 14, 2025 - To score well on this assessment, the average of the differences across years should be small. It  is also important that these differences be symmetric: a new measure should minimize the extent to which changes are consistently higher or lower than the current CNI.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5065

Updating the California Necessities Index [Publication Details]

Aug 14, 2025 - Recent changes were made to the publication of statistics required to calculate the California Necessities Index, which is used to adjust certain benefit rates and cost-of-living adjustments. In this brief, we provide details on the changes and evaluate alternatives for the index that require only currently available data and conform to the original intent of the index.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5065

Income Mobility in California Across Generations

Jan 4, 2017 - Places that produce greater mobility tend to have schools with higher student test scores, lower student dropout rates, smaller class sizes, and more expenditures per student. Stronger Social Networks.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3518

How High? Adjusting California’s Cannabis Taxes

Dec 17, 2019 - The latter types score better on this criterion than the former. Administration and Compliance. To score well on this criterion, a tax should be relatively straightforward for tax administrators and taxpayers to implement and enforce.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4125

Evaluation of a Tax Exemption for Zero-Emission Buses

Apr 15, 2024 - Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Regulation Conventional Buses vs. ZEBs. The ZEB exemption, the ICT regulation, and various other policies make a distinction between conventional buses and ZEBs. Conventional buses burn diesel, compressed natural gas, or other fuels that emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other air pollutants.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4890

The 2026-27 Budget: California Competes Extension

Mar 18, 2026 - Credits may be used to offset either personal income or corporation taxes and can be carried forward for up to six years. Over 1,200 credit agreements have been approved by GO-Biz since the program ’s inception.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5162

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - Most Low-Wage Workers Live With at Least One Other Worker. Compared to mid-to-high-wage workers, low-wage workers are much less likely to live in households with exactly two workers and much more likely to live in households with three or more workers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/1

The 2022-23 Budget: Supply Chain and Port Infrastructure Proposals

Feb 15, 2022 - Short ‑Term vs. Long ‑Term Strategies. The  current supply chain disruptions are the result of both short ‑term issues, such as greater consumer demand, as well as long ‑term issues, such as the capacity and resilience of the goods movement system.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4540

Evaluation of a Sales Tax Exemption for Certain Manufacturers

Dec 11, 2018 - Statute directs CAEATFA to make an up ‑or ‑down decision on each application based on various criteria, including the “benefit to the state, ” which the authority has interpreted primarily in fiscal terms.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3907

Local Sales Tax Rebates in 2023-24

Sep 16, 2025 - For example, to encourage a retailer to set up shop in a city, the city could refund half of the Bradley-Burns tax paid by the retailer. If retailers respond strongly to these rebates, then cities providing them could end up with higher revenues.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5074