Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on the California State Budget By Mark Baldassare Jan 26, 2006 Some findings of the current survey: A large majority (68%) of Californians support the central proposal of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s recent State of the State speech—a $222 billion program for rebuilding the state’s infrastructure, financed with bonds. Education facilities (48%) are the most popular infrastructure priority, followed by transportation projects (25%), water systems (17%), jails and prisons (3%) and courts (2%). 60% of residents approve of the governor’s proposed 2006-2007 budget. But 61% also say the imbalance between state spending and revenue remains a big problem for California. Although Californians typically reject raising taxes on themselves, they find it more acceptable to raise taxes on specific subgroups, such as the richest Californians (65%) and cigarette smokers (71%). The governor’s overall approval rating improved to 40%, but approval for his handling of specific issues such as jobs and the economy (39%) and the state budget and taxes (35%) lag. This is the 63rd PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a series of special surveys focusing on the California budget and fiscal system, funded by The James Irvine Foundation.
Report Achieving Digital Equity for California’s Students By Joseph Hayes, Niu Gao Oct 25, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of digital connectivity for learning—while highlighting serious inequities in access to broadband and computing devices. Learn about the progress California made last year and the steps the state can take to achieve the goal of affordable broadband and devices for all California students.
blog post Spending on Corrections and Higher Education By Sonya Tafoya, Sarah Bohn Aug 4, 2016 California spends more on corrections and less on higher education today, in relative terms, than at nearly any point in the past thirty years.
blog post K–12 Education and the New State Budget By Radhika Mehlotra Jul 15, 2019 Spending on K-12 education in California reaches a new high, though some key long-term funding issues remain.