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

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

The 2021-22 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 10, 2021 - The Governor proposes to pay down $8.4  billion of this amount, with districts receiving the associated cash in 2021 ‑22. Slightly more than $4  billion would remain deferred from 2021 ‑22 to 2022 ‑23.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4309

The 2026-27 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - For California, the dot ‑com era —when stocks rose and then fell precipitously in response to widespread adoption of the internet —offers the most salient example. The internet has proven to be a transformative technology and, yet, the stock market ’s initial reaction was clearly overly exuberant.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5091

Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - For example, between 2020 ‑21 and 2021 ‑22, the formulas reduced the share of excess capital gains that benefit Proposition  2 by $8  billion. Saving All Excess Capital Gains Would Allow the State to Save More Revenue Peaks.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

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 State Appropriations Limit

Apr 21, 2021 - The state ’s appropriations subject to the limit fell substantially during the dot ‑com bust in the early 2000s and again during the Great Recession due to the significant decline in state revenues during those downturns.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4416

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

Oct 16, 2023 - Appendix 4, Figure 8 Remaining Large One ‑Time and Temporary Augmentations From the 2021 ‑22 and 2022 ‑23 Budget Packages: Transportation General Fund (In Millions)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4788/4

The 2022-23 Budget: California’s Fiscal Outlook

Nov 17, 2021 - Under the breakeven scenario shown above, the Proposition 98 guarantee would decrease, but would remain roughly $8 billion above the cost of existing school and community college programs over the period.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4472

The 2021-22 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan (Final Version)

Oct 27, 2021 - Health The spending plan provides a total of $3. 8 b illion in new, discretionary General Fund monies in 2021 ‑22, of which $ 1 b illion is ongoing, for health ‑related programs. Below, we highlight some of the major changes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4448