The 2026-27 Budget: Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation Proposals

Mar 19, 2026 - Taken together, this set of proposals represents a new ongoing General Fund commitment. While we find that the proposals have merit, like all other General Fund augmentations they must be considered in the context of the state ’s projected multiyear structural deficits —which are estimated to range from about $20  billion to $35  billion annually.  
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5167

The 2026-27 Budget: Cap-and-Invest Expenditure Plan

Feb 10, 2026 - By including funding for state operations in Tier 1, they are taken “off the top ” before allocations are computed for nearly all other activities. The main implication of this approach is that any activities that are added to this category essentially result in less funding available to support programs in other tiers and a greater likelihood that Tier 3 programs may not receive their full statutory allotments.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114

The Bay-Delta Plan and Voluntary Agreements: Ensuring Effective Legislative Oversight

Mar 18, 2026 - Legislative oversight can help ensure problems are identified and corrective action is taken when needed. To conduct its oversight, the Legislature could hold informational and/or oversight hearings, require reporting by SWRCB to the Legislature, require independent scientific evaluation of plan implementation and the VA pathway, and review how state funds are being spent.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5163

The 2026-27 Budget: Framework for Approaching the Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture Budget

Feb 10, 2026 - A particularly daunting characteristic of the budget problem now facing the Legislature is that it has already taken a number of steps to address funding shortfalls in recent years using tools that are now largely unavailable or less feasible.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5116