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4,809 Publications Found
June 20, 2012 - Presented to Revenue and Taxation Committee, Hon. Henry T. Perea, Chair and Assebmly Local Government Committee, Hon. Cameron Smyth, Chair
June 12, 2012 - Letter to Hon. Bob Huff, Senate Minority Leader, providing an updated analysis of "underlying" General Fund expenditures as of February 2012.
May 31, 2012 - The Governor’s Proposition 98 budget package is built on two main assumptions regarding the creation and payment of “maintenance factor.” These two assumptions produce unreasonable outcomes for schools and the rest of the state budget in the near term and long term. In particular, the Governor’s approach would ratchet down the Proposition 98 base in some years (including 2011-12), ratchet up the base in other years (including 2012-13), and, in some cases (including 2012-13 and 2014-15), lead to schools receiving almost exclusive benefit from any growth in state revenues. We recommend the Legislature reject the Governor’s approach and adopt a budget package based upon a more reasonable approach. Specifically, under our recommended approach, maintenance factor is created any time school funding falls below the level otherwise needed to keep pace with growth in the economy, and maintenance factor is paid such that school funding is built up to the level it otherwise would have been absent the earlier shortfalls. We believe our recommended approach both keeps the underlying rationale for the creation and payment of maintenance factor linked and goes furthest in honoring the intent of Proposition 98 and Proposition 111.
May 25, 2012 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services, Hon. Holly J. Mitchell, Chair
May 24, 2012 - Presented to the Assembly Special Committee on the Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 2, Hon. Joan Buchanan, Chair.
May 23, 2012 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
May 22, 2012 - Presented to: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 5 on Corrections, Public Safety and the Judiciary, Hon. Loni Hancock, Chair.
May 21, 2012 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 21, 2012 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 21, 2012 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
May 19, 2012 - Presented to California School Boards Association
May 18, 2012 - In the May Revision of his 2012-13 budget proposal, the Governor identified a larger budget problem of $15.7 billion for state leaders to address in the coming weeks. While we find that the administration's economic and revenue forecasts are reasonable, we are concerned that the amount of property tax revenues from former redevelopment agencies (RDAs) may be substantially less than the May Revision assumes in 2011-12 and 2012-13. If so, this could increase the state's Proposition 98 school funding obligations and, therefore, the size of the budget problem above administration estimates. Moreover, the administration's $1.4 billion estimate for the amount of General Fund benefit that may be achieved in 2012-13 from transferring former RDAs' liquid cash assets to school districts is highly uncertain. We advise the Legislature to focus on adopting realistic and ongoing budget actions to continue the progress the state has made in reducing its annual operating, or structural, deficit. We describe and assess the administration's major May Revision proposals. In some cases, we offer alternative ways to achieve the savings targeted by the Governor. With regard to Proposition 98, we offer alternatives to both the Governor's basic budget plan and his trigger plan.
May 17, 2012 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
May 17, 2012 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
May 16, 2012 - In April 2012, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) released a report (referred to as the “blueprint”) on the administration’s plan to reorganize various aspects of CDCR operations, facilities, and budgets in response to the effects of the 2011 realignment of adult offenders, as well as to meet various federal court requirements (such as reducing the inmate population to meet specified population cap targets). In this brief we (1) summarize and assess the major aspects of the blueprint and (2) present alternative approaches that are available to the Legislature. In our view, much of the administration’s blueprint merits legislative consideration. However, the General Fund costs of the planned approach—in particular, an estimated $78 million in annual debt service—is a significant tradeoff. We find that the state could meet its facility requirements (including those for medical and mental health treatment) and specified population cap targets at much lower ongoing General Fund costs than proposed by the administration, potentially saving the state as much as a billion dollars over the next seven years.