Image by ogichobanovCalifornia’s official rulemaking process is, to say the last, incredibly complex. In this second of a two-part Micheli Files, lobbyist and law professor Chris Micheli examines more aspects of that process. Part I of can be found here.
Image by Andrii Yalanskyi. We’ve all heard the expression “The rules are the rules.” But when it comes to making rules in the state of California, the process has its own labyrinth of, well, rules to guide the process.
Image by hapabapaYou have questions about the myriad of rules around drafting bills in the California Legislature – we have answers! Or to be more accurate, our good friend Chris Micheli has answers.
Image by WallentineFor the 2025 Session, legislators in both houses are subject to a 2-year limit of 35 bills. But did the lower caps actually produce fewer bills this year? In a special edition of the Micheli Files, law professor and lobbyist Chris Micheli took a look a bill intros going back almost two decades to give us that answer.
Image by it:utah778What is a “constitutional amendment”? Although California’s Constitution provides for the amendment of this document, our state Constitution does not define this term. A traditional definition of a constitutional amendment is a modification to an existing constitution.
Image by Sparky2000There are numerous types of bills introduced in the California Legislature each year, and an equal number of rules for how and when they are presented. In this week’s Micheli Files, lobbyist and law professor Chris Micheli gives us the lowdown on legislation under the dome.
The California State Capitol building in Sacramento, CA. Image by jsolieWhat is a “resolution” in the California Legislature? Although resolutions and concurrent resolutions are mentioned several times in Article IV of the California Constitution, neither term is defined in that document.
Image by SmileStudioAPAt the end of bills in the California Legislature, there may be “plus sections,” which are uncodified provisions that may do a number of things, such as expressing legislative intent, making legislative findings and declarations, or explaining why a bill may have a certain designation, such as a special statute or an urgency statute.
Image by Jacob WackerhausenDefinitions can play an important role in legislation. Defining words or phrases is done to provide the reader of the legislative text with clear guidance regarding how those words or phrases are to be understood. Where there are multiple definitions, they are most often found near the beginning of legislative text.
Sacramento, California, United States. Image by Png-StudioIn the California Legislature, there are several types of amendments that can be made to measures, including bills, resolutions and constitutional amendments. To begin, an amendment is defined by Legislative Counsel as an alteration to a bill, motion, resolution, or clause by adding, changing, substituting, or omitting language.