The 2025-26 Budget: SB 678 County Probation Grant Program

Apr 11, 2025 - The administration ’s proposal to measure county performance against baselines using failure-to-prison rates from 2021 through 2023 has a key drawback. Specifically, including 2021 data is problematic because failure-to-prison rates during 2021 were artificially low due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic rather than county performance.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5031

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - The budget package provides a blanket exemption for settlements related to any wildfire occurring between tax years 2021 and 2029. Previously, state law provided income tax exemptions for wildfire settlements on a case-by-case basis.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081

The 2024-25 Spending Plan: Judiciary and Criminal Justice

Sep 10, 2024 - This includes the reversion of $8  million in unspent funds from 2023-24 for the implementation of the peace officer certification program created by Chapter  409 of 2021 (SB  2, Bradford and Atkins).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4924

Assessing Community College Programs at State Prisons

Jul 1, 2024 - Since 2021 ‑22, the state has provided $10  million ongoing Proposition  98 General Fund for the Rising Scholars Network. Currently, 80 community colleges —including all 25 colleges providing instruction to students at CDCR —receive a grant from this program.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4913

The 2025-26 Budget: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Feb 25, 2025 - As shown in Figure  3 , with the added capacity provided under this proposal, the department will continue to have more than enough existing capacity to meet all of its current and projected needs for licensed MHCBs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4986

The 2023-24 Budget: Financing Approaches for Capital Outlay Projects

Feb 28, 2023 - This post: (1) provides background on common approaches to financing capital outlay projects, (2) identifies key trade-offs associated with the Governor’s approach to financing certain capital outlay projects in the 2023-24 budget, and (3) provides recommendations to the Legislature when considering capital outlay financing approaches.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4709