blog post The Coronavirus Pandemic Will Test the State’s Budget Reserves By Radhika Mehlotra, Jennifer Paluch Apr 20, 2020 State reserve policies enacted since the Great Recession have boosted the capacity of California’s budget to weather a downturn, but a major recession due to COVID-19 would pose significant fiscal challenges.
page COVID-19 Mar 1, 2020 The coronavirus outbreak poses a tremendous challenge to California, the nation, and the global community. PPIC’s analyses examine the impacts of COVID-19 and how policy choices and other actions can help address them.
blog post Governor’s Budget Seeks to Build Water Resilience By Ellen Hanak, Gokce Sencan Jan 21, 2020 A look at the water and climate priorities laid out in two new documents: the state’s draft Water Resilience Portfolio and the governor’s proposed budget.
blog post Commentary: California Must Stop Relying on the Endangered Species Act to Manage the Environment By Jeffrey Mount Dec 5, 2019 California’s freshwater ecosystems are under pressure and aquatic biodiversity is in decline. The state needs a new approach to protect the many beneficial uses these ecosystems provide.
Report Balancing Budgets and Need during Recessions: California’s Safety Net Programs By Patrick Murphy, Caroline Danielson, Shannon McConville, Jennifer Paluch Dec 2, 2019 During economic downturns, the state faces falling revenues and rising demand for safety net programs. In the last recession, California cut programs significantly. Next time, what steps can policymakers take to support those in need, while still balancing the budget?
blog post New Laws Help Prepare Communities for Wildfire By Henry McCann Oct 14, 2019 New laws will help make communities more resilient to wildfire, including efforts to improve prevention, response, and mitigation.
blog post Record-High Share of Californians Worried about Climate-Fueled Wildfires By Alyssa Dykman, Gokce Sencan Aug 5, 2019 After two years of deadly fires, the PPIC survey finds a big jump in concern over wildfires becoming more severe as a result of global warming.
blog post Record Growth Puts Money in the Bank for California By Patrick Murphy, Jennifer Paluch, Radhika Mehlotra Jul 17, 2019 More than 120 straight months of job growth has provided a major boost to state revenues, allowing for increased spending as well as record reserves.
Report Preparing for California’s Next Recession By Patrick Murphy, Jennifer Paluch, Radhika Mehlotra May 29, 2019 California is enjoying one of the longest growth periods in history and appears well-prepared to endure a mild economic downturn. But a more severe crisis would exhaust current reserves, decrease school funding, and open a significant budget gap for several years. What steps can the state be taking to prepare for and minimize these outcomes?
blog post Testimony: Upgrading California’s Water Grid to Meet 21st Century Needs By Ellen Hanak Apr 2, 2019 Ellen Hanak, director of the PPIC Water Policy Center, describes how modernizing California’s water grid will help the state prepare for a changing climate, and ways the federal government can help.
