The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - The latter reductions are primarily due to lower Proposition  64 revenues and the use of one ‑time federal carryover funds in 2025 ‑26 ( Figure  5 ). Figure 4
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

The 2026-27 Budget: Contract to Achieve Operational Efficiencies

Mar 10, 2026 - BCG is expected to develop and pilot an analytical model that could save money in Medi-Cal by detecting pre-payment fraud, reducing improper claims, and flagging areas of possible waste and abuse. Workstream 5: DHCS —Hospital Financing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5156

The 2026-27 Budget: California Public Utilities Commission’s Implementation of AB 1207

Feb 10, 2026 - These free allowances are intended to protect electric consumers from significant cost increases associated with the program. To that end, utilities are required to consign most of these free allowances to auction and use the proceeds to provide rebates to consumer s, known as the “California Climate Credit. ” These rebates currently are provided to residential customers each year in April and October.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5120

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - We found that (1)  most mental health classifications appear to be relatively well paid compared to the broader market even before recent bonuses, (2)  other non ‑compensation factors appear to influence vacancy rates, (3)  the mental health Receiver plans to reassess whether further changes in pay are necessary, (4)  various other efforts are underway to improve recruitment and
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

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

Feb 10, 2026 - (This is true even under the Governor ’s higher revenue projections, as the administration ’s proposal includes actions to free up capacity for new spending proposals, including creating a settle ‑up obligation for schools and community colleges and suspending a transfer to the state ’s rainy day fund.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5116

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Zero-Emission Vehicle Incentive

Feb 24, 2026 - Additionally, APCF potentially could be used to support some activities currently being funded with GGRF, thereby freeing up those dollars to help fund other priorities. ZEV Proposal Does Not Meet High Bar for New Expenditures.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5140

The 2026-27 Budget: California Community Colleges

Mar 5, 2026 - The one‑time spending will expire in 2027‑28, freeing up funds that could help the state accommodate a possible decrease in the minimum guarantee before having to reduce programs. Under the Governor’s budget, the amount of the cushion is $241 million, equating to 1.7 percent of Proposition 98 spending on the community colleges in 2026‑27.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5150

The 2026-27 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 23, 2026 - We recommend that the Legislature direct the department to report in spring budget hearings on what specific steps it is taking in the current year and is considering or planning to take in the budget year to free up funding to address the shortfall, the size of the shortfall, and what unbudgeted costs currently makeup the shortfall.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5137

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

Feb 10, 2026 - (The Governor also proposes providing $85 million from the Air Pollution Control Fund—similarly freed up from undoing the previously‑approved MVA fund transfer—to support this new ZEV program, for a total of $200 million.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114

California New Car Registrations: February 2026 [EconTax Blog]

Apr 7, 2026 - After growing just 1 percent from December to February, registrations are still 5 percent below the average level over the last couple of years. This slump is becoming an increasingly worrisome sign for California ’s short-term economic trajectory.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/855