Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Administrative History
Scope and Content
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: California Commission on State Finance Records
Dates: 1980-1993
Collection number: R385
Creator:
California State Finance Commission
Collection Size:
4 cubic feet
Repository:
California State Archives
Abstract: The records of the Commission on State Finance consists of 4 cubic feet of textual records, 3 audiocassette tapes, and 8 projection
slides covering the period 1980 through 1993. The files consist primarily of meeting agendas and minutes, reports, roll calls,
correspondence and presentations.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Administrative Information
Access
Records are open for research.
Publication Rights
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Commission on State Finance Records, R353.[Series Number], [box and folder number], California State
Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Acquisition and Custodial History
The California State Archives acquired the Commission on State Finance Records according to state law.
Administrative History
The Commission on State Finance was formed in 1980 as a result of Senate Bill 165 (Chapter 1162 of Statutes 1979). An agency
of State government, the Commission on State Finance began operating on January 1, 1980, with the objective of providing the
Legislature and the Governor with quarterly forecasts of state revenues, current year expenditures and deficit surpluses,
monthly reports on the economy and state tax collections, and annual long term forecasts on the same subjects. The Commission
was composed of seven members: the State Treasurer, State Controller, Director of Finance, Speaker of the Assembly, President
Pro Tempore of the Senate, Assembly Minority Leader and Senate Minority Leader. To fulfill its duties the Commission was empowered
to examine state agency records, hold hearings, conduct studies, and compile reports.
In the 1980s, the Legislature made two changes to the Commission's duties. In 1981, it was to compute the California Necessities
Index (CNI) in order to determine cost of living adjustments for Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Supplemental
Security Income benefits. The other change came in 1986 when the Commission was charged with the task of drafting a semi-annual
report on the impact of federal expenditures in California.
In 1993, the Governor Pete Wilson used a line item veto to strip the Commission of funding and then vetoed a bill (AB1068)
that would extend the Commission for five more years. The reason for this was that many of the Commission's duties duplicated
those of the Legislative Analyst and Department of Finance. The Commission officially closed in February 1994.
Scope and Content
The records of the Commission on State Finance consists of 4 cubic feet of textual records, 3 audiocassette tapes, and 8 projection
slides covering the period 1980 through 1993. The files consist primarily of meeting agendas and minutes, reports, roll calls,
correspondence and presentations.
The scope of the textual records reflects the legislatively-mandated tasks the Commission performed during its existence.
For example, meeting files show what took place at each meeting, report and presentation files show the forecasting work done
by staff, and correspondence give a sense of the day-to-day operation of the Commission.
Most series contain reports issued by the Commission. These reports, forecast revenues and expenditures, summarize economic
indicators and measure the impact of federal spending in California. The collection will be useful for researchers that are
looking for data on California tax revenues and expenditures. Since the Commission was created in response to the revenue
surplus created by Governor Jerry Brown, there is a historical context to the records that shows how state finance has evolved
since 1980
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
California. Commission on State Finance
State finance report