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

Jan 13, 2025 - New Tax Expenditures of $150   Million. The Governor ’s budget includes some revenue proposals, which would expand existing tax expenditures and create new ones. This includes increasing the existing film tax credit from $330  million to $750  million per year and excluding some military retirement income from taxation.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4951

The 2025-26 Budget: Undertaking Fiscal Oversight

Feb 24, 2025 - This evaluation applies to both traditional spending programs and tax expenditures. Why Is It Particularly Important Now? State Faces Notable Deficits After 2025-26, Meaning Difficult Choices Are Ahead.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4983

The 2026-27 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 12, 2026 - The Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties (SFEU) is a general ‑purpose reserve commonly used to provide capacity for unanticipated expenditures, including state costs associated with disasters and other emergencies.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5101

California’s Strong Revenue Trends Mask Looming Budget Risk

Jan 23, 2026 - As we described in our November Fiscal Outlook , the recent stronger-than-expected revenue trends are almost entirely explained by the personal income tax (PIT), which has seen double digit growth this year.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5104

The 2025-26 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Oct 16, 2025 - After the special session, the sections were amended to allow funds to be used to reimburse local governments through June 2026 for (1)  unmet response and recovery costs, and (2)  lost property tax revenue.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5079

The 2026-27 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 19, 2025 - Consistent with these trends, collections from the sales tax and corporation tax (adjusted for recent policy changes) have posted below ‑average growth in recent months. Income Tax, Fueled by Exuberance Over Artificial Intelligence (AI), Remains Lone Bright Spot.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5091

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

The 2025-26 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 17, 2025 - We define a delay as a proposal that reduces expenditures within the budget window (2023 ‑24 through 2025 ‑26) but shifts those costs to a future year in the multiyear period (2026 ‑27 through 2028 ‑29).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5044

The 2024-25 Budget: Overview of the Spending Plan

Sep 6, 2024 - State Operations Unallocated Reduction to State Operations Expenditures. The budget assumes that the Department of Finance identifies and implements $2.2 billion in ongoing reductions to General Fund state operations expenditures beginning in 2024‑25.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4922

The 2024-25 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Oct 2, 2024 - California Competes is a program that allows GO-Biz to provide tax incentives for companies to stay in, relocate to, or expand in California. In recent years, funds have been made available for a grant program in addition to tax credits.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4934/