The 2022-23 Budget: Initial Comments on the Governor's May Revision

May 16, 2022 - Specifically, SAL requirements can only be met with: Tax Reductions or Tax Refunds. The first way the Legislature can allocate revenues in order to comply with the SAL is to reduce proceeds of taxes, for example, by reducing tax rates, increasing tax credits, or returning funds to taxpayers through tax refunds.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4598

The 2023-24 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook

Nov 16, 2022 - The administration ’s spending estimates at the time of the budget act included some expenditures that did not meet these criteria. Consequently, those items are not included in our expenditure estimates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4646

The 2023-24 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions

Nov 8, 2023 - Film Tax Credit Extends Film Tax Credit Program. The budget extends the film tax credit —which awards $330  million in credits annually to motion picture productions —for five years beginning in 2025-26 (Program 4.0).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4814

The 2021-22 Budget: Multiyear Budget Outlook

May 23, 2021 - Under our estimates, recent gains in revenues —particularly from taxes on higher income earners —would persist and continue to grow close to the historical average rate. (For more discussion of our assumptions, please see: The 2021‑22 Budget: May Revenue Outlook .)
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4437

The Definition of Qualified Capital Outlay for the State Appropriations Limit

Feb 18, 2022 - Appropriations subject to the limit are calculated by taking proceeds of taxes and reducing them by excluded spending. Statutory Definition of Qualified Capital Outlay. One important SAL exclusion is qualified capital outlay.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4547

The 2021-22 Budget: The Governor’s Suspension Proposal

Jan 29, 2021 - Recent budgets have used funding from Proposition  56, which established a higher tax on tobacco products, to increase provider payments in Medi ‑Cal. If the suspensions went into effect, most of these payment increases would cease.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4328

The 2020-21 Budget: Structuring the Budget

Feb 10, 2020 - Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax Approved. After enacting the 2019 ‑ 20 b udget in June, the Legislature reauthorized the MCO tax in September. The MCO tax generates General Fund benefit by taxing enrollment in MCOs and using that revenue to offset General Fund costs in Medi ‑Cal.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4150

Despite Fiscal Forecasting Uncertainties, Multiyear Budget Planning Essential

May 27, 2021 - Prudence dictates that only when baseline projections show operating surpluses (annual revenues exceeding expenditures) can new ongoing commitments or tax reductions be considered. Conversely, if projections indicate a looming structural deficit, the estimates are helpful in functioning as an early warning system.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4443

The 2022-23 Budget: Overview of the Governor's Budget

Jan 13, 2022 - Broadly speaking, to  maintain appropriations below the limit in 2022 ‑23, any excluded spending (or tax reductions) proposals rejected by the Legislature must be repurposed for an expenditure that also meets SAL requirements (in particular, excluded spending or tax reductions).
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4492

The 2024-25 Budget: Multiyear Budget Outlook

May 23, 2024 - Our Multiyear Estimates of Expenditures Are Somewhat Lower Than the Department of Finance ’s Estimates. The main reason that our estimates of the state ’s operating deficits are slightly smaller than the administration ’s is that our estimate of General Fund spending is lower than the administration ’s estimates.
https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4907