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

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: Judicial Branch

Feb 11, 2026 - This is less than the $106  million the trial courts could have retained under the current 3  percent cap. Background Judicial Branch Has Extensive Facility Needs. The judicial branch currently manages around 430 facilities across all 58 counties.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5113

The 2026-27 Budget: California State University

Feb 24, 2026 - It also would provide CSU with its remaining 3  percent ongoing base increase ($151  million) associated with the 2025 ‑26 compact payment in  2028 ‑29. CSU Anticipates Receiving Additional Tuition Revenue in 2026 ‑27.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5142

Oversight of certain public benefit artificial intelligence (AI) companies. [Ballot]

Jan 20, 2026 - The measure would have the following major fiscal effects: Increased state costs that would likely be in the tens of millions of dollars annually to establish and operate a new regulatory commission overseeing certain public benefit AI com panies.
https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Initiative/2025-033

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: Re-Envisioning State Education Governance

Mar 18, 2026 - For the Board of Governors, the SPI ’s membership would increase the number of members from 18 to 19. Retains Existing Statutory Duties of SBE. While the Governor ’s budget proposes composition changes to the SBE by making the SPI a voting member, it does not propose any other changes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5165

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - Operating excess inpatient beds at this scale costs the state over $200 million each year and requires that the state maintain many mental health positions more than the projections show are necessary.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2026-27 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services

Mar 18, 2026 - As seen in Figure  3 , IHSS caseload has grown significantly since 2013. Despite slower caseload growth between 2016 ‑17 and 2020 ‑21 (the caseload continued to grow during this period, just at a slower than usual rate).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5166