We are pleased to provide our March 2022 California Policy Update. This issue includes updates on Governor Newsom’s State of the State Address, the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (currently being circulated for signatures for potential inclusion on the November 2022 Statewide ballot), and legislation by topic area that is currently going through the legislative process.
On March 8, Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his annual State of the State Address, going through a rundown of California’s successes and touting additional plans in furtherance of those accomplishments. Although distinct from his 2022-23 budget presentation, there was not much new information shared, and the speech felt akin to a pep talk or comparative analysis of California versus the nation with California coming out on top.
This update covers highlights from the Governor’s State of the State Address by topic.
Governor Gavin Newsom submitted his 2022-23 State Budget proposal to the Legislature on January 10, 2022 – a $286 billion spending plan that estimates a $45.7 billion surplus, of which $20.6 billion is discretionary, $16.1 billion is mandated by Proposition 98 for K-14 education, and $9 billion is set aside for reserve and supplemental pension payments. The State Appropriations Limit (Gann Limit) is likely to be exceeded in both 2020-21 and 202122 by a total of $2.6 billion, which will require additional funding to be directed to schools and taxpayer rebates. The administration will update the State Appropriations Limit numbers as part of the May Revision.
The January budget update contains a detailed review of the budget proposals for nearly a dozen items that are important to jurisdictions across California.