Thank you, John. Yes, I agree. I discovered those instructions a day or two after I posted my question, but I forgot to post the solution.
Personally, I think it's ridiculous that the instructions for Schedule CA (540) directly contradict the instructions on Form 540 itself, reproduced here: "Enter the amount from Schedule CA (540), Part I, line 27, column C." Unfortunately, the people who wrote those instructions probably don't care what I think.
