California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - The added risk variable weighs on the range of revenue outcomes that we view as most plausible. The middle of the range, which becomes our main revenue forecast, is thus lower than if we did not include the stock market risk indicator.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Oct 16, 2025 - During the special session, the Legislature added Control Sections 90.00 and 90.01 to the 2024 ‑25 Budget Act providing up to $2.5  billion one ‑time for response and recovery costs related to the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5079

California's Legislative Analyst's Office and the Value of Independence

Nov 15, 2024 - As such, our independent fiscal assessment underlies the Legislature ’s ability to assert an informed check on the executive branch, making any added complexity from diverging estimates a worthwhile trade-off.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4938

The 2025-26 Budget: Undertaking Fiscal Oversight

Feb 24, 2025 - Special funds can be funded by fees paid by users for services, like entrance to state parks, or taxes levied on specific products, like tobacco or gasoline. Oversight of special funds and the associated activities also is an important area for legislative oversight, but it usually does not involve the same trade-offs as assessing the suite of General Fund programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4983

The 2025-26 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 17, 2025 - Finally, although we have not previously recommended the Leg islature take decisive action to address the structural deficits, the state ’s persistent fiscal imbalance and the added downside risks —particularly from potential federal actions —suggest a need for a more proactive approach.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5044

The 2025-26 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 20, 2024 - Outside of government and health care, the state has added no jobs in a year and a half. Similarly, the number of Californians who are unemployed is 25  percent higher than during the strong labor markets of 2019 and 2022.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4939

The State Appropriations Limit

Apr 21, 2021 - Revenues from nontax sources —like user fees —are not included in the SAL. Some revenues, such as taxes on cigarettes from Proposition  56 (2016), were excluded from the SAL by the voters. Federal funding also is excluded from the SAL.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4416

The 2021-22 California Spending Plan: The State Appropriations Limit

Aug 30, 2021 - The 2021-22 California Spending Plan: The State Appropriations Limit The 2021-22 California Spending Plan The State Appropriations Limit In the late 1970s, voters passed Proposition  4 (1979), which added Article XIIIB to the State Constitution.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4449

The 2023-24 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Nov 8, 2023 - Chapter 45 of 2023 (AB 127, Committee on Budget) creates the State Middle-Mile Broadband Enterprise Fund to receive fees from internet service providers, government entities, and other users of the middle-mile network.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4814

The 2021-22 Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Sep 23, 2021 - In September 2020, the Legislature instituted the Main Street Small Business Tax Credit, which provides income or sales tax credits to firms with 100 or fewer employees that added jobs in the second half of 2020.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4452