"If my employer insists that the moves are temporary, but my wife and I truly have no intention of going back to CA, whether I stay with this employer or not, does that change anything?"
No. Regardless of your employer's stance, CA tax law as described in CA Publication 1031 prevails. Once you have changed your domicile as described on page 10 of Pub 1031, for tax purposes you are no longer a CA resident.
**Answers are correct to the best of my ability but do not constitute tax or legal advice.
