California’s Problems Worsened in 2023

Fire trucks sit at Santa Monica Pier after a man, who claimed to have a bomb, climbed the ferris wheel and refused to come down, before he was ultimately taken into police custody, in Santa Monica, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2023. Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

California’s political defects continued to damage the state in 2023. On the budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom began the year projecting a budget gap of $22.5 billion for fiscal year 2023–24, which began on July 1. The budget passed by the Legislature grew the deficit to $31.5 billion. And in December, the Legislative Analyst projected an even larger deficit of $68 billion for fiscal 2024–25, which begins next July 1.