The 2025-26 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 20, 2024 - One path is falling interest rates and expansion of money available for lending and investment. A key driver of California ’s economic slump over the last two years has been the Federal Reserve ’s efforts to tamp down inflation by raising interest rates and shrinking how much money is available for lending and investment.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4939

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Oct 16, 2025 - How the Spending Plan Addresses the Budget Problem The state has several types of solutions —or options —for addressing a budget problem, but the most important include: reserve withdrawals, spending reductions, revenue increases, and borrowing (for example, loaning money from other funds to the General Fund).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5079

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2025 - The reason for the reduction is the recent voter approval of Proposition  35 (2024), which requires the state to spend less MCO tax money on offsetting General Fund spending and more money on provider rate increases.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2024-25 Budget: Proposition 2 Debt Payment Proposals

Mar 20, 2024 - Supplemental Pensions Payments Employers May Contribute Any Amount of Money Above What Is Required. Pension boards determine —either according to actuarial standards or statutory requirements —how much money employers must contribute to the pension system each year to address any existing unfunded liabilities.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4887

Rethinking California's Reserve Policy

Apr 10, 2025 - Functionally, borrowing has the same impact as reserves —it moves money from a period when state revenues are surging to one when they fall short —but generally involves higher interest costs for the state.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5028

The 2023-24 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 15, 2023 - Moreover, the administration will have an information advantage —it knows better what money has or has not been dispersed —making it more challenging for the Legislature to exert its preferences in response.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4769

Flexible Funding to California in the American Rescue Plan

Mar 23, 2021 - How Will the Money Be Allocated? Federal funds anticipated at the time of budget enactment are appropriated just like any other state revenue source. This means the Legislature will need to approve a plan for spending these funds in the 2021-22 Budget Act .
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4407

The 2024-25 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Sep 6, 2024 - Second, it notably reduces how much tax revenue is used for augmentations, instead using more money to help offset General Fund spending ($3.5  billion through 2024 ‑25 and $7.7  billion through 2026 ‑27).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4922

The 2022-23 Budget: Initial Comments on the State Appropriations Limit Proposal

Feb 4, 2022 - Setting aside the money now will ensure the state has the resources to pay for these obligations. Recommend the Legislature Make a Plan Before the May Revision for Addressing the Requirements. Regardless of which approach the Legislature decides to pursue, given the complexity of this budget situation, the high likelihood SAL requirements will increase, and the difficult trade
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4515

The 2021-22 California Spending Plan: The State Appropriations Limit

Aug 30, 2021 - The Legislature can use excess revenues in three ways: (1)  appropriate more money for purposes excluded from the state appropriations limit (SAL), (2)  split the excess between additional school and community college district spending and taxpayer rebates, or (3)  lower tax revenues.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4449