Taxpayer protection and government accountability. [Ballot]

Jan 19, 2022 - This year ’s state budget spends over $255  billion in state funds. Over 90  percent of the state budget is funded with revenues from taxes. These include, for example, sales taxes paid on goods and income taxes paid on wages and other sources of income.
https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Initiative/2021-042

Home Sales Update: April 2020 [EconTax Blog]

May 22, 2020 - California home sales were running at a relatively high level earlier in the year, but have since dropped as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The graph below shows unadjusted home sale counts according to Redfin, a national real estate brokerage.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/468

Building Permits Update: July 2020 [EconTax Blog]

Aug 31, 2020 - This was the largest monthly total this year, although it was only a hair above January which is typically a very weak month whereas July is typically strong. The single family permit total of 5,266 was slightly above the July 2019 and June 2020 figures, and well above the 2015-2019 average for July.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/536

The 2020-21 Budget: California Spending Plan Series [Publication Details]

Oct 5, 2020 - Each year, our office publishes California Spending Plan, a series of publications that summarize the annual state budget. The final version of Overview of the California Spending Plan is presented here along with short online posts that focus on major areas and features of the 2020-21 budget package. As more of these posts become available, we will add them below.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4330

Building Permits Update: December 2019 [EconTax Blog]

Feb 6, 2020 - Single family permitting slumped from late 2018 to early 2019, but has since returned to a pace well above the average of the previous five years. The preliminary 2019 total of 57,182 single family permits is down 3 percent from 2018.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/433

Enrollment by Higher Education Segment [EdBudget]

Jul 27, 2020 - Enrollment by Higher Education Segment [EdBudget] -0.5% Notes: The administration assumes 1 FTE student at CCC represents 525 contact hours per year, which on average generates about 24 instructional units.
https://lao.ca.gov/Education/EdBudget/Details/390

State Correctional Spending Increased Despite Significant Population Reductions

Feb 4, 2020 - This made CDCR’s budget artificially low in these years and resulted in greater spending in future years. One significant example of this type of action was the furloughing of correctional officers.Between 2008‑09 and 2012‑13, many state workers—including CDCR correctional officers—were given increased leave time in exchange for reduced pay, known as “furloughs.”
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4145

Building Permits Update: May 2020 [EconTax Blog]

Jul 7, 2020 - The multifamily housing permit total of 3,429 was not far below the May 2019 figure, but it was well below the May average over the previous five years. March and April were similarly below their 2015-2019 averages.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/492

Assessing Recent Changes to California Competes [Publication Details]

Mar 30, 2020 - Next, we describe the effects of these changes on the program in 2018‑19, the first year of their implementation. We then assess how the changes have affected the administration of the California Competes program and consider whether it is more or less effective than before.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4213

The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Human Services

Oct 23, 2020 - The 2020-21 Spending Plan: Human Services $1,584.2 $1,595.1 a The maximum monthly grants displayed refer to those for aged and disabled individuals and couples living in their own households, effective as of January 1 of the respective budget year. b Reflects Governor ’s May Revision estimate of the January 2021 federal cost ‑of ‑living adjustment for the SSI portion of the grant —1 .1 percent.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4286/4