The 2025-26 Budget: State Departments’ Operational Efficiencies (Control Sections 4.05 and 4.12)

Feb 19, 2025 - Figure 2 Questions for Legislative Committees to Ask Affected Departments and the Department of Finance (DOF) Budgeting Methodology What information from departments did DOF review to arrive at the identified savings?
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4975

The 2025-26 Budget: EDDNext

Feb 25, 2025 - Figure  2 below provides a breakdown of available funding in 2024-25 by current IT project, non-IT project, and supporting function. Figure 2 Available Funding for EDDNext Costs in 2024 ‑25 (In Millions)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4985

The 2025-26 Budget: EDDNext [Publication Details]

Feb 25, 2025 - These include: (1) remove extended encumbrance and expenditure deadlines; (2) add a notification period for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to review final project documentation for the proposed Integrated Case Management System / Integrated Data Management IT project; (3) require the California Department of Technology to publish oversight reports every other month; and, (4) require EDD to provide quarterly legislative meetings.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4985

Improving Legislative Oversight of Emergency Authorities

Apr 10, 2025 - The remaining include 11 droughts (4  percent), 9 earthquakes (3  percent), and 6 energy and 6 health emergencies (2  percent each), as well as 5 freeze and 5 wind ‑related emergencies (2  percent each).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5029

The 2025-26 Budget: Department of Real Estate

Mar 19, 2025 - Senate Bill  164 made two changes to DRE ’s fee structure: (1)  it increased various fees, and (2)  it provided statutory caps under which DRE may make additional adjustments to its fees through the regulatory process without having to seek legislative authorization.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5019

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

Jan 13, 2025 - Specifically, the Governor ’s budget assumes (1)  a $620  million ($230  million General Fund) reduction through the permanent elimination of 6,500 vacant positions and associated funding and (2)  a $1.5  billion ($820  million General Fund) in 2024 ‑25 and $2  billion ($1.2  billion General Fund) in 2025 ‑26 and ongoing reduction to state operations expenditures.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2025-26 Budget: CDTFA’s Tobacco Programs

Feb 14, 2025 - If not, the two main alternatives are (1)  a statutory increase in licensing fees, or (2)  cuts to other aspects of the licensing program. Proposal Heightens Concerns About Hiring and Retaining Inspectors.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4966

The 2024-25 Budget: Proposed Reductions to State Operations [Publication Details]

May 21, 2024 - As we discuss in this post, we think there is merit to the Department of Finance finding operational efficiencies; however, (1) any resulting reductions would be made based on the Governor's priorities and not necessarily the Legislature's priorities and (2) we think there is a high risk that the level of savings assumed from these two unallocated reductions will not fully materialize in 2024-25.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Detail/4903

The 2025-26 Budget: The California State Payroll System IT Project

Mar 7, 2025 - Stage 2 Alternatives Analysis. The project evaluates a number of solutions using market research, and then identifies a recommended solution with a preliminary baseline project cost, schedule, and scope.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5011

The 2024-25 Budget: Broadband Infrastructure at May Revision

May 23, 2024 - The proposal also requests 31 new, permanent positions for CPUC to administer the program, and provisional budget bill language to (1)  encumber and expend the funds through June 30, 2031 and (2)  re-appropriate some unspent initial BEAD planning funds for encumbrance or expenditure through November 30, 2027.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4906