The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement [Publication Details]

Mar 11, 2025 - This post contains assessments and recommendations related to two proposed budget augmentations: the College Corps program and a new Belonging Campaign.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5015

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement

Mar 11, 2025 - Overview GO-SERVE Was Established Through Recent Reorganization. The 2024-25 budget package established GO-SERVE as part of a reorganization of the former Governor ’s Office of Planning and Research.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5015

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

Mar 18, 2025 - The Governor ’s budget proposes a one-time General Fund appropriation of $25  million in 2025-26 for GO-Biz to support capital expenditures incurred during the development of the DCF. After Natcast incurs these expenses, it could submit requests for reimbursement to GO-Biz until July 31, 2027.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5018

The 2025-26 Budget: Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development [Publication Details]

Mar 18, 2025 - The Governor’s budget includes several proposals under the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). In this post we evaluate and provide recommendations for three of these proposals: California Competes Grants, California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprises Grant Program, and CHIPS.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5018

Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program Review

Dec 2, 2025 - Going forward, we identify a few issues for the Legislature to  consider: To the extent the Legislature wants more definitive conclusions on the program ’s outcomes, it could request an audit focused on state entities ’ compliance with DVBE policies, the effects of recent changes, and measures to improve data quality and consistency.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5095

The 2025-26 Budget: California Military Department—STARBASE Classroom Building

Feb 20, 2025 - Accordingly, the proposal puts the state at risk of unnecessarily funding working drawin g that ultimately go unused. This would happen if the multiyear deficits facing the state result in the delay of the construction phase of the project to a time when the working drawings are no longer usable.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4976

The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 16, 2025 - GO-SERVE oversees three notable programs: the California Volunteers, the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC), and the Youth Empowerment Commission. The spending plan includes $225  million for the office in 2025-26.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5081/

The 2025-26 Budget: The California State Payroll System IT Project

Mar 7, 2025 - Some of these changes also may go through the collective bargaining process, such as changes in pay frequency. For CSPS to be successful, CalHR (as the state ’s representative at the bargaining table) and the unions representing bargaining units will need to agree on any major changes from the new payroll system that impact most of the state workforce.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5011

Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities

Apr 10, 2025 - This would create a mechanism to ensure any authority needed to continue emergency response activities over an extended period of time would go through the normal legislative budget and policy processes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5029

The 2025-26 Budget: EDDNext

Feb 25, 2025 - We find these mechanisms to be inadequate going into 2025-26. Changes in EDDNext Funding Allocations and IT Projects in 2024-25 Raise Additional Legislative Oversight Considerations. In addition to the important milestones expected in 2025-26, underspending and shifting of funding allocations for current IT and non-IT projects in the EDDNext portfolio —as well as consolidation of
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4985