Dollars and Democracy: An Introduction to the State Budget Process

California’s Constitution establishes rules for a wide range of legislative actions, from passing the state budget to increasing taxes to placing constitutional amendments on the ballot. This table summarizes the requirements for approving key legislative actions in California.

California residents and businesses contribute $83 billion more than the state receives in federal spending. Why is there a gap? On the spending side: On the revenue side: These points help to illustrate why the $83 billion gap exists in California. However, with devastating funding cuts on the policy agenda in Washington, DC, it’s worth … Continued