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April 12, 2018 - The 2015-16 budget package provided $2 million in one-time funding for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to develop an Administrator Performance Assessment (APA) for individuals seeking an administrative services credential. At the time, the Legislature was told that the APA would be ready by the end of 2016-17. Since then, CTC has been developing the APA and has conducted two field trials of the assessment. The administration proposes to provide an additional $1.3 million one time (special funds) to conduct a third year of field trials. In this post, we provide background on the APA, assess the Governor’s proposal, and recommend the Legislature require CTC to explain during hearings why the APA is over budget and behind schedule.
April 12, 2018 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration and General Government
April 12, 2018 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education
April 12, 2018 - The state and local governments collected about $220 billion in tax revenue in 2015‑16—equal to nearly 10 percent of the California economy. The personal income tax is the state's main revenue source, the property tax is the major local tax, and the state and local governments both receive revenue from the sales and use tax. In addition, many smaller taxes raise revenue for state and local government operations. This visual guide explains California's tax system using over 40 data visualizations. The report examines various characteristics of the tax system including what items are taxed, who pays the taxes, and how taxes are used.
April 11, 2018 - In this post, we provide background on the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and then discuss the Governor’s proposal to provide a $2 million augmentation for 15 new positions within the office.
April 10, 2018 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
April 10, 2018 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration
April 9, 2018 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on Public Safety
April 6, 2018 - Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance
April 6, 2018 - The State Constitution limits how much the Legislature can spend from tax revenues. The administration’s 2018-19 budget proposal reflects increased “room” under this limit—essentially spending capacity—of roughly $6 billion over June 2017 levels. Notably, the administration revised its approach for estimating costs to comply with federal and court mandates, which are excluded from the limit. We find that the mandates approach is inconsistent with the implementation of the spending limit because the administration reflects costs from any mandate whereas only costs resulting from mandates imposed after 1978-79 should be excluded from the limit. We recommend the Legislature direct the administration to revise its approach going forward to be consistent with the limit, which conceivably could increase or decrease room under the limit. In addition, we make several additional recommendations that would reduce room under the limit by several billion dollars.
April 5, 2018 - Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education Finance
April 4, 2018 - This report consists of five sections. First, we review the importance of and benefits provided by California’s forests. Second, we provide information regarding how forests are managed in California, including ownership, state and federal policies and programs, and funding. Third, we review the current conditions of forests and watersheds across the state, including the concerning implications and recent consequences of those conditions, as well as the actions that would be needed to make improvements. Fourth, in the findings section, we highlight shortcomings in how the state manages its forests and watersheds. Fifth, we offer recommendations for actions the Legislature could take to improve forest and watershed management in California.
April 4, 2018 - The 2017-18 budget package authorized a plan to borrow $6 billion from the Pooled Money Investment Account—an account that is essentially the state’s checking account—to make a one-time supplemental payment to the California Public Employees' Retirement System. All funds that make pension payments will repay the loan over the next decade or so. Authorizing legislation gives the administration some discretion over how funds will repay the loan, but the statute includes a variety of repayment requirements. In our view, while the basic elements of the administration’s repayment plan are reasonable, we have serious concerns about some choices the administration made. To address these concerns, in this report, we recommend a modified repayment approach that would: (1) be consistent with the authorizing legislation, (2) allocate repayment costs across funds appropriately and publicly, and (3) provide incentives to create more cost-effective outcomes.
April 4, 2018 - In 2017, the Legislature passed two laws that made major changes to tax administration and appeals in California. Prior to these laws, the Board of Equalization (BOE) had administrative and appeals responsibilities for many taxes and fees. The laws created two new departments—the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and the Office of Tax Appeals (OTA)—and transferred most of BOE’s duties to these departments.
April 4, 2018 - Presented to Senate Committee on Education and Assembly Committee on Education