Updating the California Necessities Index

Aug 14, 2025 - To score well on this assessment, the average of the differences across years should be small. It  is also important that these differences be symmetric: a new measure should minimize the extent to which changes are consistently higher or lower than the current CNI.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5065

The 2026-27 Budget: CDTFA’s Cannabis and Tobacco Programs

Feb 23, 2026 - Flavor Ban. In a November 2022 referendum, voters approved Chapter  34 of 2020 (SB  793, Hill), which bans most sales of flavored tobacco products. ( “Flavored ” refers to non ‑tobacco flavors, such as menthol cigarettes or fruit ‑flavored e ‑cigarettes.)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5132

Updating the California Necessities Index [Publication Details]

Aug 14, 2025 - Recent changes were made to the publication of statistics required to calculate the California Necessities Index, which is used to adjust certain benefit rates and cost-of-living adjustments. In this brief, we provide details on the changes and evaluate alternatives for the index that require only currently available data and conform to the original intent of the index.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5065

The 2025-26 Budget: CDTFA’s Tobacco Programs

Feb 14, 2025 - This suggests that the annual revenue loss from the flavor ban might be around $300  million to $400  million. Interpretation of Revenue Loss Unclear. Under the flavor ban, people who otherwise would consume flavored tobacco have three main options: (1)  avoid tobacco use altogether, (2)  switch to unflavored tobacco products, or (3)  obtain flavored tobacco from
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4966

The 2026-27 Budget: CDTFA’s Cannabis and Tobacco Programs [Publication Details]

Feb 23, 2026 - In this post, we discuss three Governor’s budget proposals for the Department of Tax and Fee Administration’s (CDTFA’s) cannabis and tobacco programs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/5132

The 2022-23 Budget: Supply Chain and Port Infrastructure Proposals

Feb 15, 2022 - Short ‑Term vs. Long ‑Term Strategies. The  current supply chain disruptions are the result of both short ‑term issues, such as greater consumer demand, as well as long ‑term issues, such as the capacity and resilience of the goods movement system.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4540

The 2026-27 Budget: California Competes Extension

Mar 18, 2026 - Complementing this, another study compared similarly scored applicants where one received a credit and the other did not and found that recipient firms subsequently increased employment and payroll in California relati ve to otherwise similar firms that narrowly missed receiving an award. 2018 Changes to Program Could Impact Employment Effects.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5162

Evaluation of a Tax Exemption for Zero-Emission Buses

Apr 15, 2024 - Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Regulation Conventional Buses vs. ZEBs. The ZEB exemption, the ICT regulation, and various other policies make a distinction between conventional buses and ZEBs. Conventional buses burn diesel, compressed natural gas, or other fuels that emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other air pollutants.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4890

California’s Low-Wage Workers and Minimum Wage

Mar 11, 2024 - Most Low-Wage Workers Live With at Least One Other Worker. Compared to mid-to-high-wage workers, low-wage workers are much less likely to live in households with exactly two workers and much more likely to live in households with three or more workers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4878/1

Local Sales Tax Rebates in 2023-24

Sep 16, 2025 - One-quarter of Californians live in a jurisdiction that paid rebates in 2023-24. Focusing on these areas, Figure  3 displays the distribution of rebate payments across jurisdictions, weighted by the number of residents.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5074