Local Sales Tax Rebates in 2023-24

Sep 16, 2025 - Figure  4 compares these areas ’ incomes and unemployment rates to the state as a whole. Median annual household incomes in rebate-paying jurisdictions are a bit higher than the statewide average. The average unemployment rate in jurisdictions that paid $1 to $20 per resident is very close to the statewide average.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5074

The 2026-27 Budget: State Mandate—Disclosure Requirements and Deferral of Property Taxation

Feb 19, 2026 - In particular, state law directs our office to report on the annual state costs for new mandates and make recommendations to the Legislature as to whether the new mandates should be (1)  repealed (permanently eliminating it or making it optional), (2)  suspended (rendering it inoperative for one year), (3)  modified, or (4)  funded.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5130

The 2026-27 Budget: California Competes Extension

Mar 18, 2026 - Figure  4 shows how credit allocation across sectors has changed since changes were made to the program in 2018. In particular, the share of awards going to advanced manufacturing firms has greatly increased while the share going to professional services (for example, accounting, legal, and local business services) has significantly decreased.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5162

Evaluation of a Tax Exemption for Zero-Emission Buses

Apr 15, 2024 - First, the program received an additional $4  billion to provide through its traditional competitive process. The program awarded this funding to local agencies in the spring of 2023. Second, the program received $4  billion —$2  billion in 2023-24 and $1  billion planned for both 2024-25 and 2025- 26 —to provide on a formula basis to local agencies for capital and/or operational expenses.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4890

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - The spending plan includes $169  million for CDFA from Proposition  4, which we discuss in more detail in a separate budget and policy post — The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Proposition 4. Baseline Ongoing Reductions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081

Annual Report on Tax Exemptions for Medicinal Cannabis

Jun 24, 2025 - Chapter  837 of 2019 (SB  34, Wiener) established new tax exemptions for donations of medicinal cannabis. The law directs our office to submit an annual report containing data on three outcomes related to the exemptions: the number of medicinal cannabis patients served, the amount of medicinal cannabis products donated, and the amount of tax revenue lost.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5059

The 2023-24 Budget: California's Film Tax Credit

Feb 28, 2023 - Evidence from Georgia and North Carolina. ” Evidence from Georgia and North Carolina (August 4, 2019) (2019). Bradbury, John Charles. “Do movie production incentives generate economic development? ” Contemporary Economic Policy 38.2 (2020): 327 ‑342.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4713

Fixing Unemployment Insurance

Dec 2, 2024 - During the phase ‑in period, the state also entered the dot ‑com recession. These two cost pressures absorbed the remaining flexibility in the state ’s UI tax system. As  shown in Figure  4 , the state began this period in Schedule C but quickly moved to Schedule F+, the highest tax schedule, where it has remained since.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4943

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - By Labor Market Measures, Minimum Wage Was Higher in 2019. The estimates in Figures 6 and 7 suggest that California ’s minimum wage reached an atypically high level around 2019. Since 2019, general wage growth has outpaced prior trends.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/3

The 2025-26 Budget: California’s Film Tax Credit

Feb 28, 2025 - Figure  5 shows the differing effects of these two events by comparing the total percent change in employment levels for California and the U.S. since 2019. The impact of COVID ‑19 was similar in California and the U.S. overall, and employment bounced back in both cases by the end of 2021.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5000