Dollars and Democracy: An Introduction to the State Budget Process

The most common way for Californians to shape state funding decisions and policy priorities is through the state budget process and the legislative (or policy bill) process. The deadlines for the state budget process are established in California’s Constitution or in state law and rarely change. In contrast, most of the deadlines for the legislative … Continued

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.