The 2026-27 Budget: Child Care and State Preschool

Mar 19, 2026 - As part of the 2021‑22 budget package, the Legislature and Governor agreed to add 206,800 non‑CalWORKs child care slots over a multiyear period. To date, the state has funded 129,800 additional slots—a 113.8 percent increase in non‑CalWORKs slots compared to 2020‑21 levels.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5168

How Have Past Stock Market Downturns Affected Income Tax Revenue? [EconTax Blog]

Mar 9, 2026 - By most measures, the global financial crisis was more severe than the dot-com crash. The state 's unemployment rate, for example, peaked at 7 percent following the dot-com crash but reached nearly double that during the financial crisis and remained elevated for much longer.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/Article/Detail/852

How Have Past Stock Market Downturns Affected Income Tax Revenue? [EconTax Blog]

Mar 9, 2026 - By most measures, the global financial crisis was more severe than the dot-com crash. The state 's unemployment rate, for example, peaked at 7 percent following the dot-com crash but reached nearly double that during the financial crisis and remained elevated for much longer.
https://lao.ca.gov/LAOEconTax/article/Detail/852

California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - After the dot-com bust and the Great Recession, it took four and five years, respectively, for revenues to recover. Incorporating revenue risk into the budget now, therefore, reflects prudence, not pessimism.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

Addressing Chronic Vacancies in Prison Mental Health Care

Feb 23, 2026 - In addition, the Receiver ’s plan would also increase the pool of people that can provide services to the mental health population by expanding clinical internship slots across the prisons. Not only will interns perform work while part of the program, but it is also possible that they will become employed permanently by CDCR.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5134

The 2026-27 Budget: California Community Colleges

Mar 5, 2026 - Under SCFF, districts receive apportionment funding for regular credit courses based on three components: (1)  a base allocation linked to  enrollment, (2)  a supplemental allocation linked to low ‑income student counts, and (3)  a student success allocation linked to specified student outcomes.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5150

Oversight of certain public benefit artificial intelligence (AI) companies. [Ballot]

Jan 20, 2026 - The measure would have the following major fiscal effects: Increased state costs that would likely be in the tens of millions of dollars annually to establish and operate a new regulatory commission overseeing certain public benefit AI com panies.
https://lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Initiative/2025-033

The 2026-27 Budget: County Administration and H.R. 1 Implementation

Mar 5, 2026 - Without a methodology that links funding to workload, funding could become insufficient or exceed what is required for efficient operations without a clear way of assessing what adjustments are needed.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5149

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

Feb 10, 2026 - Additionally, CARB still is considering linking California’s cap‑and‑invest program with the program in Washington state. Such a linkage could affect allowance prices in both states as they come into alignment.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5114

The 2026-27 Budget: California Education Learning Lab

Mar 25, 2026 - For example, some Learning Lab projects have resulted in higher pass rates for certain STEM courses while other projects have been linked to improving students ’ motivation and sense of belonging. Projects Are Challenging to Scale.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5171