Links to Key 2023 California Budget Materials
A lot of links in one place
This Substack aims to provide online and email updates, principally concerning California state budget bills, but also major developments concerning state revenue collections, the budget process, and Newsom Administration budget proposals. (An “unsubscribe” link is at the bottom of each email.)
Following yesterday’s introduction of the Governor’s initial annual budget proposal, this note puts in one place various links and references to key budget materials that may be helpful throughout 2023.
A personal observation: Yesterday was the 23rd time—counting my years on Wall Street before moving to the LAO in Sacramento—I’ve followed a Governor’s January budget introduction closely. Especially when I worked in New York in bond ratings, I covered budgets of most states in one capacity or another. California’s budget process always has been much more accessible than the processes of most other states due to information published by the LAO, Finance, and legislative committees. In recent years, the Legislature, working with the Brown and Newsom Administrations, has budgeted funds to increase online information available about the budget process. In addition to these online resources (and coverage by the news media), relationships with elected officials, staff, and advocates closely involved with the budget are helpful for staying informed about one of the most important public budget processes in the world.
Most Important: Contact Your Legislator
Let your elected legislators know what you think! Approving the annual state budget is a key function of the California Legislature. You can contact members of the California State Assembly or the California State Senate.
State Government Basics
California Constitution: Articles IV and XVI are among the most important for state budgeting.
California Budget and Policy Center Guide to the California State Budget Process and Glossary of State Budget Terms, plus other information.
The Governor’s Proposals
ebudget.CA.gov: Links to budget summaries and departmental detail information for the Governor’s January and May budget proposals, as well as the enacted budget (which generally starts to be available around the end of June). Information is available for the past few fiscal years as well.
Budget Change Proposals (BCPs) and Finance Letters: During the Brown Administration, a small legislative budget appropriation for a high-speed copier at Finance resulted in the online BCP page: a revolution in budget transparency, making these key budget proposal documents—around which many legislative hearing agenda items are focused—available to all. Note that BCPs are added or amended throughout the annual budget process. BCPs generally describe administration proposals for changes to the budget. This page also contains links to Finance Letters, formal documents describing budget adjustments and proposed changes—generally released on April 1 and May 14.
Trailer Bill Language (TBL) Proposals Page: Administration TBL proposals are found here. They generally start to be added in late January and are added or amended throughout the budget process. The Excel tracking spreadsheet, linked to the main page, can be useful for seeing which TBL items have not been added yet. A significant majority of items that end up in budget trailer bills (“bills providing for appropriations related to the budget bill” under the Constitution) originate in some form on this page.
Fund Condition Statements. Administration estimates of the “fund condition” of the state’s hundreds of accounts, generally reflecting the Governor’s most recent proposals. (More detail is available in the detailed budget “galley” for the department that administers each fund via the “Detail” buttons and subsequent links at ebudget.ca.gov.)
Individual state departments have a variety of budget information posted. Among the most useful departmental websites is that of the Department of Health Care Services, with its best-in-class “local assistance estimate” tables.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO)
Home Page: Flipping through the “Policy Areas” header includes links to pages with specialized information from each of the LAO’s analytical sections, ranging from criminal justice to “other government areas” (which includes useful information, for example, on the state workforce and collective bargaining agreements).
Staff Directory: As staff supporting all offices of the Assembly and Senate, LAO staff members are available for questions from legislators, legislative committees, and their staff members. During my 12+ years at LAO, I responded to requests ranging from a multiyear research project requested by a legislator to a list of possible budget cuts requested by a committee chair during the 2009 recession to many phone calls from members in cars on their way to vote on the Floor.
Publications Page: Includes a link to major recurring LAO publications, such as the office’s initial reviews of Governor’s January and May proposals, the annual Spending Plan summary of the enacted budget, and the office’s legendary November Fiscal Outlooks.
Education Section Page: Includes link to LAO EdBudget tables and other education publications.
Ballot Analyses Page: Page links to years of LAO analyses of statewide ballot measures and initiatives circulated for signatures (including most that do not qualify for the ballot).
Legislative Budget Process
Information on Budget Bills (Jason Sisney’s Substack page): for information on budget bill introductions, amendments, and enactments, as well as major revenue and process updates. Additional budget-related information will be posted on companion accounts at other sites (for now: @jasonsisney at Post and mastodon.world, as well as LinkedIn).
Links to bills in print and their analyses at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
Up-to-date budget committee hearing information from the Assembly Daily File and the Senate Daily File.
Assembly Budget Committee and Senate Budget Committee: Includes links to very important subcommittee agendas, as well as subcommittee rosters. Organization of the sites can change during the session, so taking time to explore the sites can be helpful.
Legislative Video Coverage: Assembly Floor and committee live streams and archived videos, as well as Senate Floor and committee live streams and archived videos.
Revenue Information
Finance Bulletin: Monthly Department of Finance publication—the authoritative information on budgeted state revenue trends—but it is not published in January and May, when Governor’s budget proposals are released. Revenue trends are tracked relative to the most recent applicable administration forecast (January, May, or the enacted June budget package).
The tax agency websites (FTB and CDTFA) also have useful data, especially about historical revenues.
Data and Historical Information
Statewide Financial Information Tables: These are schedules with a variety of current and historical fiscal information, generally reflecting the Governor’s January budget proposals.
Summary Schedules and Historical Charts: Includes links to the schedules listed above, but also a variety of historical charts of California state financial data, updated occasionally.
Historical Budget Publications: A link to various current and historical budget publications, including Salaries and Wages, Five-Year Infrastructure Plans, the annual Final Budget Summary (annotated budget bills), and the annual Final Change Book Report (showing changes from Governor’s January budget to enacted budget).
Other, Wonkier Information
Manual of State Funds: Directory and descriptive information about state government’s hundreds of budget funds, from Fund 0001 (General Fund) to Fund 9753 (Data and Innovation Services Revolving Fund) and beyond.
Budget Letters: Budget and accounting policies and instructions are issued periodically, as needed, by the Department of Finance (DOF) as Budget Letters (BL).
State Cash Balance Information. From State Controller’s Office monthly reports.
Information on State Pooled Money Investments. From State Treasurer’s Office data.
Information on State of California (and other) Municipal Bonds. Official Statements (OSs) from bond transactions contain a wealth of information about a public entity’s finances. In addition, information for some upcoming bond sales is often available via the State Treasurer’s Office website.
Recent Disclosures to Bond Investors. Including information on bond debt that is outstanding.
Department of Finance Tax Expenditure Reports. California has, for decades, been a governmental leader in analyzing the revenue losses associated with “tax expenditures” (provisions of the tax code providing special benefits to select groups). Information on tax expenditures also is available at the tax agencies’ websites, such as ftb.ca.gov.