View of the Senate in the California State Capitol building. Image by Sundry Photography. With the final weeks of Session upon us, several procedural items that regularly occur on the Floors of the California Legislature may be in order.
The state Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: Wikimedia)In today’s edition of the Micheli Files, intrepid McGeorge law professor and Capitol lobbyist Chris Micheli offers best practices for the use of letters to the Assembly and Senate Daily Journals.
Image by CamerisState mandates refer to state-imposed requirements on local governments and school districts that often involve new programs or higher levels of service. In this week’s Micheli Files McGeorge law professor and Capitol lobbyist Chris Micheli shares insights into some types of state mandates.
Image by yhelfman.With more and more lobby days taking place in the California State Capitol (and its Swing Space), law professor and lobbyist Chris Micheli is joined today in a special edition of the Micheli Files by Capitol schedulers Megan Garrison and Tisha Simpson to present a series of suggestions for conducting a successful lobby day.
Image by Wallentine. What are the recesses conducted by the California Legislature? And what is the purpose of Interim Study? There are actually joint recesses after both years of the 2-year Session.
Image by hapabapaAs I make my way through bills in the second house policy committee, I continue to run across interesting provisions contained in these bills. Here is a short explanation of some recent examples from 2025 bills that the “legislative geek” in me finds interesting.
Image by Minwan. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. But while the Legislature may state the costs associated with a bill do not need to be reimbursed, it is actually the State Mandates Commission that decides the question.
Image by Arseniy45Questions have often been raised about why there are so many trailer bills needed as part of the budget process in California. The number has grown over the past couple of decades and this has been a recurring concern. However, there is a legal reason for this.
Image by BrianAJackson. Both the Legislature and the Governor in California play critical roles in the development and adoption of the state budget. Relevant provisions of state law related to the budget process are contained in Article IV of the state Constitution.
Image by BrianAJacksonThere have been many court decisions over the past century interpreting key provisions of the Government Code. The following cases highlight some of the key decisions interpreting these statutory provisions. This is Part 2 of a two-part series.