Kudos to Assemblyman Jim Nielsen

In an interview aired June 14 on KCRA-TV, the Biggs Republican, vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee,  displayed his mastery of the Lexicon of Common Budget Words and Phrases by describing the budget as not only “kicking the can down the road” and “business as usual” but adding that the process lacked sufficient “transperancy.”    Read more »

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Budget Bills Being Considered in the Senate

 Here are the budget bills being considered in the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee on June 14.

They can be viewed individually here    Read more »

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Legislative Democrats Begin the Process of Passing a $131 Billion Budget

On June 12, Democrats begin the process of sending a budget to Gov. Jerry Brown.

The Assembly Budget Committee has scheduled a hearing – the lower house says it can be watched or listened to here — to discuss the “Legislature’s plan,” which the committee says differs from the revised budget the Democratic governor unveiled in May by “less than 1 percent in total spending.”    Read more »

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Legislative Analyst Recommends Giving Public Schools Less Funding to Reduce Cuts Elsewhere

Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised budget gives public schools $1.7 billion more than he is required under state funding formulas, causing reductions of a like amount in other state programs, according to the Legislative Analyst’s recently released assessment of the Democratic governor’s new spending plan.

The analyst encourages lawmakers, who face a June 15 constitutional deadline to send Brown a budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, to “reconsider the governor’s overall May Revision package – a package that spends more on schools and community colleges while simultaneously cutting other areas of the state budget, primarily health, social services, courts ad state employee compensation more deeply.”    Read more »

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Symbols for the Symbol-Minded

The second bullet on Page 3 of Gov. Jerry Brown’s revised budget, unveiled May 14, proudly says he plans to eliminate “20 boards, commissions, task forces, offices and departments.”

Reporters were provided with a list of 22 boards, committees and commissions Brown would terminate. The savings from doing so in the Democratic governor’s proposed $132 billion spending plan represents less than what former Department of Finance director Tom Hayes referred to as “budget dust.”    Read more »

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Doesn’t Sound Like So Grim a Revised Budget

For a state budget with a hole that’s now $15.7 billion  — $6.5 billion worse than the problem estimated by Gov. Jerry Brown In January – California is in great shape.

At least that’s the impression from reading the Democratic governor’s portrayal of his revised budget plan, released May 14.

The spending plan protects education and public safety, Brown says in his press release.    Read more »

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April Tax Collections Nearly $2.5 Billion Short, Controller Says

 California’s cash balance, receipts and disbursements in California’s April tax collections were $2.44 billion below the estimates contained  in Gov. Jerry Brown’s January budget plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, State Controller John Chiang said May 8 in his monthly cash balance report.

“The task of crafting a credibly-balanced budget has been made more difficult by a nine-month revenue shortfall of $3.5 billion,” said Chiang in a statement.    Read more »

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Tax Collections Falling Off, Bigger Budget Hole More Likely

 With five more days left in the month, state income tax collections are dropping off, increasing the odds the state’s budget hole will grow.

As of April 25, the Franchise Tax Board has received just under $6.5 billion in payments this month — $1.9 billion less than Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget predicts the agency will receive through April 30.    Read more »

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State Tax Payments Roll in But More Refunds Than Expected

As of April 23, the Franchise Tax Board has received  just over $6 billion in stat e income tax payments this month — $2.4 billion less than Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget predicts the agency will receive through April 30.

The Democratic governor has already acknowledged he and lawmakers must fill a budget hole that’s at least $800 million larger than he estimated in January – about $10 billion.    Read more »

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April 19 Tax Collections: Mumm’s But No Dom Perignon Yet

April 19 marked another large haul for state tax collectors as the Franchise Tax Board received $1.1 billion in payments.

Those collections lifted the board’s total April receipts to a hair over $5 billion, — $3.4 billion less than Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget predicts the agency will receive through April 30.    Read more »

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