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

Feb 10, 2026 - Given the continued uncertainty around cap ‑and ‑invest revenues, we recommend the Legislature closely monitor upcoming quarterly auctions —in February  and May 2026 —to assess how revenues are materializing.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114

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

Mar 18, 2026 - When water supplies become critically low, such as during droughts, SWRCB can issue curtailment orders that temporarily reduce how much water users can divert. SWRCB applies these rules based on seniority, curtailing junior rights holders before senior rights  holders.
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 - Finally, after it has identified what level of funding its budget can support, we suggest the Legislature think about revisiting the mix of how those resources are dedicated to prioritize the most important activities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5116

The 2026-27 Budget: Permitting Support at the State Water Resources Control Board

Mar 2, 2026 - How Waters Are Defined Affects How They Are Regulated. Federal CWA requirements only apply to “waters of the United States ” (WOTUS), so the definition of WOTUS is important. The broader the definition, the more bodies of water will fall under federal jurisdiction —and vice versa.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5144

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposition 4 Spending Plan

Feb 10, 2026 - While the Legislature did approve some funding for a few of these activities in 2025 ‑26, notable discretion remains around how specifically the funds can and will be used. As such, these proposed appropriations represent a key opportunity for the Legislature to articulate its priorities and provide guidance about how specifically these funds will be spent, to the degree it has any.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5115

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

Feb 24, 2026 - As we discuss in our December 2018 report, Assessing California’s Climate Policies—Transportation , such challenges can include (1) program interactions that can affect cost‑effectiveness, (2) difficulty evaluating programs,(3) potential lack of program coordination, and (4) increased administrative costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5140

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

Mar 19, 2026 - Rather, LCI states that some of these staff have been funded via a patchwork approach including some limited-term sources (similar to how it has funded some administrative functions). Providing ongoing support for all of the existing L CI staff that work on CEQA guidelines and modernization efforts can help avoid delays or incompletion of such work and ensure the state continues to provide effective CEQA coordination, technical assistance, and information.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5167

The 2026-27 Budget: Governor’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Tax Credit Proposal

Feb 24, 2026 - Howev er, producers of SAF can voluntarily participate in the program and receive credits for the gallons they supply to California. These producers can then sell the credits they generate, producing revenue that serves as a subsidy for SAF production.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5139

The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Elimination of State Environmental Positions

Feb 17, 2026 - Some CDFW positions also administer various permits, a key function to ensure that projects —from habitat restoration to infrastructure and housing development —can be completed with less damage to the environment.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5124

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

Feb 10, 2026 - Absent such additional direction, the Legislature will largely be deferring to CPUC to make decisions about how to allocate this funding —which could total in the tens of billions of dollars over the next twenty years —to utility customers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5120