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LAO Video Playlists

To provide helpful information to the California Legislature and the public, the LAO has recorded these videos as companion pieces to reports or as stand-alone primers. Filter the video playlists using the form on the left.


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The 2023-24 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook Press Availability November 16, 2022

Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek hosts a video call with members of the press after the release of the LAO's report The 2023-24 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook.


The 2022-23 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook Press Availability November 17, 2021

Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek hosts a video call with members of the press after the release of the LAO's report The 2022-23 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook.


Working at the Legislative Analyst's Office November 3, 2021

A 2021 recorded information session about LAO's graduate internship program and the fiscal and policy analyst position. For more information, visit our Careers page. 


The 2021-22 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook Press Availability November 18, 2020

Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek hosts a video call with members of the press after the release of the LAO's report The 2021-22 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook


California's Spring Fiscal Outlook Press Availability Video Call May 8, 2020

Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek hosts a video call with members of the press after the release of the LAO's report The 2020-21 Budget: California's Spring Fiscal Outlook


Industry Wage Growth in California November 8, 2017

In this video, Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst Ann Hollingshead describes the trends in wages in California industries between 1990 and 2016. For a fuller discussion of these trends, read our California Economy and Taxes blog post Industry Wage Growth in California


The Property Tax Inheritance Exclusion October 9, 2017

In this brief video, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst Brian Uhler discusses the report The Property Tax Inheritance Exclusion.


Volatility of California’s Personal Income Tax Structure September 28, 2017

The personal income tax is California's most important revenue source. In this companion video to our report Volatility of California’s Personal Income Tax Structure, LAO Economist Justin Garosi briefly explains the volatility of California's personal income tax structure.



Income Mobility in California Across Generations January 4, 2017

In these three short videos, Fiscal & Policy Analyst Ann Hollingshead highlights some of the concepts and findings in the LAO report Income Mobility in California Across Generations.   


Overview of Special Education in California December 12, 2016

In this series of four animated videos, Fiscal and Policy Analyst Ryan Anderson covers key aspects of special education in California. The first video describes how schools identify students for special education services. The second describes the most common types of disabilities among California students. The last two videos explain how California administers and funds special education services. These videos provide context for ongoing conversations about special education governance and finance. 


A Long-Term Outlook: Disability Among California’s Seniors November 28, 2016

In this short video, Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst Amber Didier and Fiscal and Policy Analyst Callie Freitag discuss highlights of the report A Long-Term Outlook: Disability Among California’s Seniors


Los Angeles’ Bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics November 10, 2016

In this short video Chief Deputy Legislative Analyst Jason Sisney and Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst Carolyn Chu highlight the LAO report Los Angeles' Bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics.



Common Claims About Proposition 13 September 19, 2016

Proposition 13 was a landmark decision by California’s voters in June 1978 to limit property taxes. Today, there are many questions about the impacts of these changes. Our report Common Claims About Proposition 13 examines some of these questions and which of them can be answered by the data available. A few of the questions from the report are answered here in video format by analysts Brian Uhler and Carolyn Chu


Legislative Analyst's Office: California Fiscal Advisors for 75 Years July 8, 2016

In 2016, the Legislative Analyst's Office celebrates 75 years of service to California. Even though much has changed in California during that time, the mission of the office has remained fundamentally the same. To learn more about the Legislative Analyst's Office and its continued role as the state's fiscal advisors, please visit our 75th Anniversary page


The 2016-17 Budget: The Governor’s Proposition 2 Debt Proposal February 24, 2016

In this companion video to our report The 2016-17 Budget: The Governor’s Proposition 2 Debt Proposal, Fiscal and Policy Analyst Ann Hollingshead discusses the LAO's alternatives to the administration’s proposal for meeting Proposition 2 debt payment requirements in 2016–17 and beyond.


The 2016-17 Budget: The Governor's Reserve Proposal February 19, 2016

In this short video, Fiscal and Policy Analyst Ann Hollingshead answers some basic questions about Proposition 2. She raises concerns about the Governor's 2016-17 budget reserve proposal, then introduces the LAO's alternatives to the Governor's approach. To find out more about the Governor's budget reserve proposal and the LAO's alternatives, read our report The 2016-17 Budget: The Governor’s Reserve Proposal.


Perspectives on Helping Low-Income Californians Afford Housing February 9, 2016

In this short video, Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst Brian Uhler discusses the main points of our recent brief report Perspectives on Helping Low-Income Californians Afford Housing.


Cap-and-Trade Revenues: Strategies to Promote Legislative Priorities January 27, 2016

On January 21st, 2016, our office released Cap-and-Trade Revenues: Strategies to Promote Legislative Priorities, a report about California’s cap-and-trade program. This program is a key part of California’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this video, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst Ross Brown discusses the important relationship between the two major components of the state’s cap-and-trade program: (1) the cap-and-trade regulation and (2) the auction revenues that are generated as a result of the regulation. In addition, he discusses how this relationship has important implications for the state’s strategy for spending cap-and-trade auction revenues.


Improving California’s Criminal Fine and Fee System January 5, 2016

In this short video, Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst Anita Lee summarizes the findings and recommendations in our report Improving California’s Criminal Fine and Fee System. 


Understanding Your Property Tax Bill December 9, 2015

As a companion to LAO's California Economy and Taxes blog series on property tax, these animations 1) walk through the basic steps of calculating a property owner’s 1 percent tax and 2) summarize the major steps county auditors take to distribute this money.


The 2016-17 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook November 18, 2015

California's state budget is better prepared for an economic downturn than it has been at any point in decades. Under the main economic scenario in this year's LAO Fiscal Outlook, 2016-17 would end with reserves of $11.5 billion, assuming the state makes no new budget commitments through next year. If the economy continues to grow through 2019-20, annual operating surpluses and larger reserves could materialize, and there may be capacity for some new budget commitments—whether spending increases or tax reductions. An economic or stock market downturn, however, could occur during our outlook period.


Understanding California's Sales Tax May 6, 2015

Economist Seth Kerstein provides information about California's sales tax as a companion piece to the LAO's report, Understanding California's Sales Tax.


The 2015-16 Budget: Possible May Revision Scenarios April 7, 2015

In this companion video to our report The 2015-16 Budget: Possible May Revision Scenarios, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst Ryan Miller discusses scenarios that the state's elected leaders may face when finalizing the 2015-16 Budget.  


California's High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences March 17, 2015

In this series of short videos, Senior Fiscal & Policy Analysts Chas Alamo and Brian Uhler discuss the many factors that have a role in driving California's high housing costs, the most important being the significant shortage of housing in the state's highly coveted coastal communities. They make recommendations to the Legislature to address this housing shortfall by changing policies to facilitate significantly more private home and apartment building in California's coastal urban communities. Read the report: California's High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences.


The 2015-16 Budget: Health Benefits for Retired State Employees March 16, 2015

The Governor's 2015-16 Budget proposes major changes to the retirement health benefits the state provides to about three-fourths of its employees. In these short videos, Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst Nick Schroeder explains how the state funds retiree health benefits and then discusses recommendations for legislative consideration going forward. For further information about the Governor's proposals and the LAO's recommendations, read the full report The 2015-16 Budget: Health Benefits for Retired State Employees.


Unclaimed Property: Rethinking the State's Lost and Found Program February 10, 2015

Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst Ryan Miller provides information about California's unclaimed property law as a companion piece to the LAO's report Unclaimed Property: Rethinking the State's Lost & Found Program.


State Budget 101 Video Series January 14, 2015

These videos provide basic information on key California state budget topics. The series features Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor and other LAO staff members discussing California's economy, state revenues and spending, infrastructure, state employees, and other topics.


Restructuring the Court-Ordered Debt Collection Process November 20, 2014

This video discusses the current process by which court-ordered debts are collected. We recommend improvements to help increase such collections, thus providing more revenue to state and local funds which, in turn, support a variety of programs such as trial court operations and victim assistance programs. For more detail, read the companion report, Restructuring the Court-Ordered Debt Collection Process, on our website.




Addressing California's Key Liabilities May 7, 2014

These three videos provide an overview of California's liabilities, explain why liabilities are important, and discuss how the Legislature might prioritize the funding of the state's liabilities. They were released as companion pieces to the LAO's report Addressing California's Key Liabilities.  






The 2014-15 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook November 20, 2013

The 19th annual edition of the LAO's Fiscal Outlook--a forecast of California's state General Fund revenues and expenditures over the next six years--reflects continued improvement in the state's finances. A restrained budget for 2013-14, combined with our updated forecast of increased state revenues, has produced a promising budget situation for 2014-15. Our forecast indicates that, absent any changes to current laws and policies, the state would end 2014-15 with a multibillion-dollar reserve. Continued caution is needed, however, given that these surpluses are dependent on a number of assumptions that may not come to pass. For example, as we discuss in this report, an economic downturn within the next few years could quickly result in a return to operating deficits. In this report, we outline a strategic approach for allocating potential surpluses that prepares for the next economic downturn while paying for past commitments, maintaining existing programs, and making new budgetary commitments incrementally to address other public priorities.




The 2013-14 Budget: Overview of the May Revision May 17, 2013

California Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor discusses his office's report "The 2013-14 Budget: Overview of the May Revision" with the news media.









Understanding California’s Property Taxes November 29, 2012

In these videos, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst Mark Whitaker and Fiscal and Policy Analyst Chas Alamo discuss California's property tax as a companion piece to the LAO's report "Understanding California's Property Taxes."


The 2013-14 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook November 14, 2012

The 18th annual edition of the LAO's Fiscal Outlook--a forecast of the state's budget condition over the next five years--shows that California's budget situation has improved sharply. The state's economic recovery, prior budget cuts, and the additional, temporary taxes provided by Proposition 30 have combined to bring California to a promising moment: the possible end of a decade of acute state budget challenges. Our economic and budgetary forecast indicates that California's leaders face a dramatically smaller budget problem in 2013-14 compared to recent years. Furthermore, assuming steady economic growth and restraint in augmenting current program funding levels, there is a strong possibility of multibillion-dollar operating surpluses within a few years.







The 2012-13 Budget: Refocusing CDCR After the 2011 Realignment February 23, 2012

In these videos, analysts Drew Soderborg and Aaron Edwards discuss the effects that California's 2011 realignment laws will have on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Soderborg and Edwards also provide recommendations for the Legislature to consider as it addresses the 2012-13 budget.











The 2012-13 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook November 16, 2011

Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor and Deputies Jason Sisney and Jennifer Kuhn discuss the LAO's report The 2012-13 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook.









High-Speed Rail Is at a Critical Juncture May 10, 2011

These videos were released as companion pieces to our report High-Speed Rail Is at a Critical Juncture



The Master Plan at 50 series February 17, 2011

A series of videos on California's Master Plan for Higher Education.



Introduction to the California Budget January 13, 2011

In this ten minute video, Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor discusses the building blocks that comprise California's state budget including the difference between general and special funds, major sources of revenue, and the largest categories of expenditure.



The 2011-12 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook November 10, 2010

Three short videos summarizing our 2011-12 Fiscal Outlook publication. Includes: (1) Overview, (2) Revenue and Economic Outlook, and (3) Proposition 98.



The 2010-11 Budget: Overview of the May Revision May 18, 2010

Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor's press conference in which he discusses the LAO report The 2010-11 Budget: Overview of the May Revision.




The 2010-11 Budget: Transportation March 5, 2010

In this short webcast, analysts Eric Thronson and Jessica Digiambattista discuss the recently published LAO report The 2010-11 Budget: Transportation.






The 2010-11 Budget: California's Fiscal Outlook November 18, 2009

Five brief webcasts summarizing our 2010-11 Fiscal Outlook publication. Includes: (1) Overview, (2) How We Develop Our Forecast, (3) Correction/Prisons, (4) Proposition 98, and (5) Higher Education.



Achieving Better Outcomes for Adult Probation May 29, 2009

In this four-minute video, analyst Paul Golaszewski summarizes the LAO report Achieving Better Outcomes for Adult Probation.


Overview of the 2009-10 May Revision May 21, 2009

Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor discusses Overview of the 2009-10 May Revision in this six minute video.


Department of Real Estate: Opportunities to Improve Consumer Protection May 12, 2009

Author Greg Jolivette summarizes the findings of our recent report, Department of Real Estate: Opportunities to Improve Consumer Protection, in a three and one-half minute video.





2009-10 Budget Analysis Series, Criminal Justice Realignment January 27, 2009

Legislative Analyst Director of Criminal Justice, Anthony Simbol, discusses the fourth report in the LAO’s 2009-10 Budget Analysis Series, Criminal Justice Realignment.


Social Services 2009-10 Budget Analysis Series January 22, 2009

Legislative Analyst Director of Social Services, Todd Bland, discusses the LAO report 2009-10 Budget Analysis Series: Social Services.


California's Cash Flow Crisis January 14, 2009

Deputy Legislative Analyst Michael Cohen and Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst Jason Dickerson discuss the LAO report 2009-10 Budget Analysis Series: California's Cash Flow Crisis.





Elizabeth Hill Answers Questions About Her Plans to Retire March 13, 2008

After 32 years of service to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, including nearly 22 years as the Legislative Analyst, Elizabeth Hill advised Legislative Leadership and Members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee late yesterday that she will retire at the end of this legislative session. Ms. Hill, the fourth Legislative Analyst in the office’s 67 year history, expressed her thanks for the opportunity to serve the Legislature in this nonpartisan capacity advising the body on fiscal and policy issues. Here she answers questions from the media.


Elizabeth Hill Answers Questions On the LAO's Alternative Budget Plan February 26, 2008

In an interview on the California Channel's "California Conversations" Elizabeth Hill answers questions the state's fiscal condition and the LAO's alternative budget plan.



Health Care Reform January 25, 2008

Elizabeth Hill's Senate Testimony on ABX1 and its related imitative.


Overview of the Governor’s Budget, 2008-09 January 14, 2008

Elizabeth Hill's Initial Assessment of the 2008-09 Governor's Budget.




Highlights from our 2007-08 Analysis of the Budget Bill February 21, 2007

Elizabeth Hill discusses highlights from our 2007-08 Analysis of the Budget Bill and Perspectives and Issues.


Elizabeth Hill Discusses Implementing the 2006 Bond Package January 22, 2007

At her media presentation held on January 22nd, 2007, Elizabeth Hill discusses recommendations to assist the Legislature in implementing the bond package approved by voters in November 2006.


What Is a Mandate? January 16, 2007

When the state mandates that a local government provide a new program or higher level of service, the California constitution often—but not always—requires the state to reimburse the local government. Determining which state requirements must be reimbursed—and which local governments must pay for on their own—is not always easy. To help explain these issues, we prepared two narrated presentations. What’s a Mandate—An Overview provides a broad overview of the reimbursement requirement. What’s a Mandate—Learning Through Examples explores different types of state laws and regulations and helps you walk through the steps to sort out whether or not they would be a state-reimbursable mandate.


Overview of the Governor’s Budget: 2007-08 January 12, 2007

January 12, 2007: Elizabeth Hill discusses our preliminary assessment of the the 2007-08 Governor's budget at her media presentation.