California Budget Perspective 2019-20

A comprehensive guide to the California state budget process: we provide an overview of the year-round state budget cycle, detail the roles of the key players, and lay out the timeline for state budgeting as well as opportunities for input. Our hope is that this guide makes the state budget process more accessible for policy staff, advocates, and the media, as well as to broaden participation in the budget debate.

Policymakers avoided major cuts to critical services in the 2023-24 California state budget, but additional revenues are needed to make meaningful investments for Californians in the future.