Staff
- Frank Jimenez
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(916) 319-8324
Highways and Roads, Recycling, and Toxics - Helen Kerstein
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(916) 319-8364
Air Quality, Energy, Climate Change, and High-Speed Rail - Brian Metzker
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(916) 319-8354
Forestry, Parks, and Agriculture - Sonja Petek
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(916) 319-8340
Water, Coastal Development, and Fish and Wildlife - Gökçe Sencan
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(916) 319-8329
Mass Transportation, Traffic Enforcement, Statewide Planning and Infrastructure - Rachel Ehlers
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(916) 319-8330
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Environment and Transportation
Publications
Environment and Natural Resources
To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
Framework for Approaching the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Budget
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February 26, 2026 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy
Overview of New Updates to the Cap-and-Invest Program
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February 23, 2026 - Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
The 2026-27 Budget: Proposed Elimination of State Environmental Positions
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February 17, 2026 - In this post, we assess the Governor’s proposal to eliminate certain vacant state environmental positions.
The 2026-27 Budget: California Public Utilities Commission’s Implementation of AB 1207
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February 10, 2026 - In this post, we analyze a California Public Utilities Commission proposal to implement changes to the California Climate Credit pursuant to Chapter 117 of 2025 (AB 1207, Irwin).
The 2026-27 Budget: Framework for Approaching the Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture Budget
February 10, 2026 - This report provides a framework to help the Legislature approach funding environment-related programs within the context of the state's budget challenges.
Overview of New Updates to the Cap-and-Invest Program
December 9, 2025 - This report provides a summary of the major components of Chapter 117 of 2025 (AB 1207, Irwin) and Chapter 121 of 2025 (SB 840, Limón)—which extend and modify the cap-and-invest program—as well as a discussion of some of the legislation's key implications.
Cap-and-Invest: November 2025 Auction Update and 2026-27 Budget Context
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December 9, 2025 - In this post, we discuss the November 2025 cap-and-invest program auction results, as well as potential implications for the 2026-27 budget.
The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Other Provisions
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October 16, 2025 - This post discusses features of the state's spending plan that were not covered elsewhere in the 2025-26 Spending Plan series.
The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Natural Resources and Environmental Protection
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October 16, 2025 - This post begins by providing an overview of total spending for the departments overseen by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). Next, we discuss a number of cross-cutting issues that affect departments in both agencies, including Proposition 4, budget reductions, and spending from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). We then discuss individual departments that had notable budget changes within each of the two agencies.
The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Proposition 4
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October 16, 2025 - This post describes the first year of implementation funding for Proposition 4 as authorized by the 2025-26 budget package. We begin with a high-level summary, then provide an overview of each of the major Proposition 4 categories.
The 2025-26 Budget: State Mandates—Regional Water Quality Control Boards
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May 30, 2025 - In this post, we discuss the Governor's May Revision budget proposal to retroactively suspend three municipal stormwater mandates.