The 2024-25 Budget: Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development

Feb 20, 2024 - We estimate the Governor ’s budget predicts the state ’s 2024-25 budget will need to address a $58 billion deficit . In December, our office predicted a somewhat large deficit of $68 billion . Since then, recent data has continued to point to the budget problem being larger than the Governor’s budget assumes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4846

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - To shed light on this issue, we next compare the statewide minimum wage to housing costs across California ’s 58 counties. Measuring Housing Affordability. To assess housing affordability for minimum-wage workers, we compare monthly earnings for full-time workers making the main minimum wage in each county to HUD ’s estimate of “fair market rent ” for housing in that county.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/3

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Dec 2, 2024 - Figure  12 shows how the state ’s current taxable wage base and our recommendation compare to other states. If the state raised the maximum weekly benefit amount, the corresponding taxable wage base would also need to increase.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4943

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - The budget provides $5  million in one-time General Fund for California Volunteers to offer grants to AmeriCorps programs to fund coaches at K-12 schools. This program has received limited-term funding in prior years, including $5  million in 2024-25.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081

The 2025-26 Budget: Update on Implementation of New Firearm and Ammunition Tax

Feb 19, 2025 - These funds would be allocated to school districts based on their share of statewide enrollment in grades 7 to 12. The budget package also required school districts to certify by July 2029 that a certain portion of their staff who work directly with students in grades 7 to 12 have received youth behavioral health training at least once.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4970

The 2022-23 Budget: Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development Proposals

Feb 11, 2022 - Consequently, Visit California has increased its net assets from $20  million at the beginning of 2019 ‑20 to $58  million by the end of 2021 ‑22. Additional State Funding for Marketing Appears Unnecessary.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4529

The 2025-26 Budget: CDTFA’s Tobacco Programs

Feb 14, 2025 - The Cigarette and Tobacco Products Compliance Fund had a $2  million surplus in 2023-24 and entered 2024-25 with a $12  million balance. In principle, these resources, together with the proposed augmentation, should cover the cost of implementing these laws without any need to redirect resources away from other aspects of the licensing program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4966

Evaluation of a Tax Exemption for Zero-Emission Buses

Apr 15, 2024 - The standard useful life of a bus is 12 years, so CARB set these requirements with an eye toward completing the statewide transition to ZEBs by 2040. CARB Exempts Transit Agencies From ICT Requirements Under Some Conditions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4890

The 2023-24 Budget: Multiyear Budget Outlook

May 23, 2023 - Under our outlook, Proposition  98 General Fund spending on schools and community colleges is $89  billion in 2026 ‑ 27 —nearly $12  billion above our projected 2023 ‑24 level and $5  billion higher than the administration ’s projection for 2026 ‑27.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4772

The 2022-23 Budget: Fuel Tax Rates

Feb 11, 2022 - Each adjustment reflects a 12 ‑month change in the California Consumer Price Index (CA CPI) —a broad measure of the prices California households pay for goods and services. For  example, the rate adjustment scheduled for July  1,  2022 will reflect the 12 ‑month change in the CA  CPI from November 1, 2020 to November 1, 2021.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4528