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

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 - 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

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - The budget assumes reductions to CDFA ’s budget of $11  million ($9.8  million General Fund) authorized by Control Sections 4.05 and 4.12 of the budget act. This includes $8.2  million ($7  million General Fund) in efficiency reductions and $2.8  million General Fund in vacant position reductions.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081/

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: Update on Implementation of New Firearm and Ammunition Tax

Feb 19, 2025 - Specifically, an 11  percent tax is applied to the gross retail sales of firearms, firearm precursor parts, and ammunition. Retail sales to law enforcement agencies and active or retired peace officers, as well as those that total less than $5,000 per quarter, are exempt from this tax.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4970

The 2023-24 Budget: Multiyear Budget Outlook

May 23, 2023 - While the May Revision makes several billion dollars in spending reductions, it maintains $11  billion in one ‑time and temporary spending in 2023 ‑24. We recommend this spending be reduced further (from $11  billion to roughly $4  billion) and out ‑year one ‑time and temporary spending be eliminated entirely, as explained further below.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4772

Evaluation of a Tax Exemption for Zero-Emission Buses

Apr 15, 2024 - In 2020, 11  percent of buses entering service for small transit agencies were ZEBs; by 2022, that share had grown to 38  percent. As described in the “Background ” section, the ICT establishes higher ZEB purchase requirements for large transit agencies than for small transit agencies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4890

Tax Credit Expansions in the American Rescue Plan

Apr 13, 2021 - Tax Credit Expansions in the American Rescue Plan COVID-19 Tax Credit Expansions in the American Rescue Plan The federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) that passed on March  11 expanded a number of federal income tax credits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4410

The 2022-23 Budget: Fuel Price and Other Fiscal Relief Options

May 12, 2022 - The Governor has put forward several proposals totaling roughly $11  billion that are intended to provide relief to Californians, most of which were proposed this spring following the release of the Governor ’s January budget.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4597