California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - After the dot-com bust and the Great Recession, it took four and five years, respectively, for revenues to recover. Incorporating revenue risk into the budget now, therefore, reflects prudence, not pessimism.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

The 2024-25 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2024 - If these actions were all counted as policy choices, rather than baseline changes, the resulting budget problem would be $58 billion. We Estimate the Net Difference Between LAO and Administration Budget Problems Is About $10   Billion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4825

The 2026-27 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - This year, for example, our outlook reflects our best estimates of the effects of H.R. 1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act on the state budget but does not make assumptions about future federal policy changes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5091

The 2024-25 Budget: Deficit Update

Feb 20, 2024 - Figure 1 Summary of Possible Remaining One ‑Time and Temporary Spending (In Millions)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4850

The 2024-25 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor’s May Revision

May 17, 2024 - First, in April, the Legislature passed an early action package that reduced the size of the budget problem by $17.3  billion (Chapter  9 of 2024 [AB  106, Gabriel]). Second, the administration reduced the total amount of new discretionary spending proposals by roughly $200  million (from $1.2  billion in January to about $1  billion).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4902

Whether or Not to Tap Reserves to Solve Estimated Budget Problem Emerges as Key Fiscal Decision Facing California’s Legislature

Apr 19, 2023 - Other downturns, such as the 2001 so-called dot-com recession, had severe fiscal implications while inflicting somewhat milder economic damage. The 2008 Great Recession had brutal effects on both the state ’s economy and budget.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4762

Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - In March of 2004, on the heels of the dot ‑com bust, voters passed Proposition  58, which created the Budget Stabilization Account (BSA). In the 2006 ‑07 budget, the Legislature deposited $472  million into the BSA and in 2007 ‑08 deposited $1.5  billion.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

The 2023-24 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan (Final Version)

Oct 16, 2023 - The 2023-24 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan (Final Version) Overview of the Spending Plan (Final Version) Appendix 4: Large One-Time and Temporary Augmentations Transportation Appendix 4, Figure 1 Remaining Large One ‑Time and Temporary Augmentations From the 2021 ‑22 and 2022 ‑23 Budget Packages: Business and Labor General Fund (In millions) Begin new information
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4788/4

The 2023-24 Budget: Multiyear Assessment

Feb 15, 2023 - Three of those —the recession in the early 1990s, the dot ‑com bust in the early 2000s, and the Great Recession —resulted in large revenue shortfalls and ensuing multiyear deficits, even for some years after each recession ended.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4687

The 2026-27 Budget: How to Use One-Time Revenue Improvements

Feb 20, 2026 - At the same time, the state would continue to use $10  billion in reserves in 2025-26 under the administration ’s plan. In addition, recent budgets have relied on nearly $30  billion in borrowing to address deficits, and the Governor ’s budget proposes almost $6  billion in additional borrowing (see Figure  1).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5133