The 2025-26 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 20, 2024 - Instead, much of the bounce appears to be tied to special forms of pay for high ‑income workers, such as bonuses and stock  compensation. Booming Stock Market Driving Income Growth. The recent run ‑up in the stock market, which appears tied to optimism surrounding artificial intelligence, is a primary driver of the rapid growth in pay to high ‑income workers.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4939

California New Car Registrations: February 2026 [EconTax Blog]

Apr 7, 2026 - After growing just 1 percent from December to February, registrations are still 5 percent below the average level over the last couple of years. This slump is becoming an increasingly worrisome sign for California ’s short-term economic trajectory.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/855

California New Car Registrations: February 2026 [EconTax Blog]

Apr 7, 2026 - After growing just 1 percent from December to February, registrations are still 5 percent below the average level over the last couple of years. This slump is becoming an increasingly worrisome sign for California ’s short-term economic trajectory.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/article/Detail/855

California New Car Registrations: January 2026 [EconTax Blog]

Mar 11, 2026 - After growing just 0.3 percent from December to January, registrations are still 5 percent below the average level over the last couple of years. This multi-month slump could be a worrisome sign for California ’s short-term economic trajectory.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/853

California New Car Registrations: January 2026 [EconTax Blog]

Mar 11, 2026 - After growing just 0.3 percent from December to January, registrations are still 5 percent below the average level over the last couple of years. This multi-month slump could be a worrisome sign for California ’s short-term economic trajectory.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/article/Detail/853

Cap-and-Invest: November 2025 Auction Update and 2026-27 Budget Context

Dec 9, 2025 - For example, for 2026-27, SB  840 and Chapter  5 of 2025 (AB  102, Gabriel) expressed legislative intent to use a combined total of up to $1.5  billion of GGRF to support the following activities: $1.25  billion of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) costs if there is a General Fund deficit (with additional allocations in future years).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5096

Personal income tax rates for high-income taxpayers. [Ballot]

Oct 20, 2025 - Fiscal Effects Measure Would Bring in Between $5  Billion and $15  Billion Each Year. The amount of money brought in by this measure is hard to predict and will go up and down with the economy. This is because much of the revenue comes from taxing investment income and capital gains.
https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Initiative/2025-016

New tax on the wealth of billionaires. [Ballot]

Dec 11, 2025 - These wealth tax revenues probably would add up to tens of billions of dollars spread over severa l years. Likely ongoing decrease in state income tax revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars or more per year.  
https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Initiative/2025-024

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

Feb 23, 2026 - Second, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed Chapter  269 (AB  573, Rogers). This law will raise the annual license fee from $265 to $450 on July 1, 2026. It also authorized CDTFA to make further fee adjustments to cover program costs.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5132

The 2026-27 Budget: Cap-and-Invest Expenditure Plan

Feb 10, 2026 - GGRF = Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund; DOF = Department of Finance; CalFire = California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection; SB  840  =  Chapter  121 of 2025 (SB 840, Lim ón); AB 617 = Chapter 136 of 2017 (AB 617, C.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114