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THE CALIFORNIA BUDGET CRISIS

The state budget deficit has reached crisis proportions, with a $14.5 billion deficit projected over the next 18 months.

The League has joined coalition partners in offering guidance to legislators and the administration as they deal with the situation.

We believe California’s budget should invest in services and infrastructure for the future. We oppose arbitrary across-the-board budget cuts and believe that all options, including revenue increases, must be on the table.

Read more about our rationale: Budget "Reform" Lacks Vision

What you can do: Spread the word

Read the letters and statements we have signed:

• Letter to the Governor and legislative leaders opposing rollback in implementing environmental and public health laws
• Forward Together: A Budget for All Californians
• Letter to the Governor from the Green California coalition
• Letter to the Governor about public transit

Investing in the state's infrastructure is an important budgetary consideration. Click here to see policy recommendations and an update on water infrastructure proposals.

Read a series of articles we've written about the state budget (all in PDF format. Click here to download Adobe's Acrobat Reader).

• Cloudy Days on the Budget Watch (June 2007)
• LAO Raises Warning Flags about the Budget (December 2006)
• The State Budget Outlook . . . Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty? (March 2006)
• Infrastructure: A Hot Topic (January 2006)
• Making the Tax System Reflect California's Economy (April 2005)
• Tax Expenditure Reform Bill (April 2005)
• Budget Perspectives (January 2005)
• A Year Later: How is California Doing? (December 2004)
• Mixed Results on Local Measures (December 2004)
• What is a Structural Budget Deficit? (July 2004)
• Funding Schools Adequately Is it Possible? (April 2004)
• Structural Budget Gap Begs for Reform (April 2004)
• The Governor's Proposed Budget (April 2004)
• County Budgets/County Services (November 2003)
• Tax Shift Funds State Debt (October 2003)
• Why Does it Matter? (July 2003)
• Something to Think About-Doing the Math ( July 2003)
• What About Tax Expenditures? ( July 2003)

Find more information about the California State Budget.

• The Budget Process. (PDF File. 270K from the State Senate)
• The Governor's Budget Proposal
• Legislative Analyst's Office:
  • Budget Documents
  • The LAO publishes a number of budget reports and analyses every year. Search
• California Budget Project
• California Budget Challenge (from Next Ten)

See also California State Government links.

Here are some letters and statements we have sent about state budget legislation:

• Letter to Senator Kevin Murray, Chair, Conference Committee on Infrastructure Bonds, on "Infrastructure Bond Proposals" (March 2006, PDF)
• The League endorsed "Fighting for California's Future", a 2005 statement of principles for a fair and sustainable solution to the ongoing budget crisis.
• In support of regular review of tax expenditures. (August 2004)

We asked Governor Schwarzenegger to sign the California Tax Expenditure Accountability Act. (August 2004)

The League supported Proposition 56, the Budget Accountability Act, on the March 2004 ballot. This initiative was designed to alleviate the legislative gridlock that has increasingly bogged down the state budget process.