H.D. Palmer

California's new budget allocates $55 million for the DMV to build a data-sharing system with a national database to comply with the federal REAL ID Act. Immigrant advocates warn this could expose undocumented residents to deportation risks, while state officials claim safeguards limit data exposure and prevent misuse.

The California Newsom administration allegedly knew of a $2 billion budget error tied to CalPERS for months, which could reduce a projected $3 billion deficit but still faces long-term annual deficits of $20-$35 billion. The Legislative Analyst’s Office identified the error as double-counting retirement contributions and miscalculations, with the administration disputing the characterization as an 'error' and calling it a revised estimation method.

The California Newsom administration allegedly knew of a $2 billion budget accounting error tied to CalPERS for months, which could reduce the state’s projected deficit but does not address larger long-term fiscal challenges. The error, involving double-counted retirement contributions and miscalculations, was flagged by the Legislative Analyst’s Office in February but publicly disclosed in April.