California analyst predicts $31 billion budget surplus

By ADAM BEAM
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s independent Legislative Analyst’s Office is forecasting that the state will have a $31 billion budget surplus next year. The predicted surplus is so large the office estimates it could exceed a constitutional limit on state spending by more than $26 billion over three years. That could require Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to either cut taxes, spend more money on infrastructure or give rebates to taxpayers. California’s tax collections have continued to soar. From April to June of this year, California businesses reported a 38.8% increase in taxable sales. The Legislative Analyst’s Office says it’s impossible to know whether these revenue gains are sustainable.