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

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

The 2026-27 Budget: California Competes Extension

Mar 18, 2026 - Complementing this, another study compared similarly scored applicants where one received a credit and the other did not and found that recipient firms subsequently increased employment and payroll in California relati ve to otherwise similar firms that narrowly missed receiving an award. 2018 Changes to Program Could Impact Employment Effects.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5162

The 2018-19 Budget: California Competes Proposal

Feb 21, 2018 - An applicant that requests a smaller tax credit —holding constant the proposed amount of hiring and investment —receives a higher score. Only the highest scoring applicants move on to the second stage.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3759

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

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

Taxation of Sugary Drinks

Nov 26, 2018 - Key Trade ‑Off: Main Policy Goal vs. Other Health Effects. The potential exclusion of 100  p ercent juice illustrates a general trade ‑off in the design of sugary drink taxes. Some sugary drinks contain beneficial nutrients.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3903

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

Evaluation of a Sales Tax Exemption for Certain Manufacturers

Dec 11, 2018 - In particular, Blue Sky —in consultation with CAEATFA and others —developed the scoring system that the authority has used to evaluate applicants for the exemption. This scoring system is based on the criteria laid out by S B  71 —in particular, a comparison between the “benefit to the state ” and the “benefit to the participating party. ” In developing the net
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/3907