Image by SvanblarOn occasion, bond measures are submitted to voters in the State of California, such as this November 5 when the statewide electorate will consider two different $10 billion bond measures, one on climate change and one on school facilities.
Delegation of work, image by Andrii YalanskyiIn delegating authority to the executive branch of government, a question that is often raised is whether legislatures can be expected to adopt statutes that address every detail of public policy? In some instances, they can, but in others they cannot.
Longtime Capitol lobbyist and regular Capitol Weekly contributor Chris Micheli is a “self-professed legislative geek.” To that end, he has collected and is now sharing with us the following statistics from the recently-concluded 2023-24 California Legislative Session:
Gov. Gavin Newsom & Lt. Gov. Eleni KounalakisBoth the California Governor and the Lieutenant Governor have formal roles in the lawmaking process, despite the fact that this authority is granted to the legislative branch of state government pursuant to Article IV of the California Constitution.
No access. Image by Mary HerronSome in the Capitol community believe there are unnecessary limitations on the public’s ability to access some of the committee hearings and floor sessions of the California Legislature. Are these limits on public participation permissible under state laws?
California courts, image by NanoStockkMembers of the state and federal judiciary branches play a role in the California lawmaking process as a part of our government’s system of “checks and balances.” When California statutes or regulations are legally challenged, for example, then the state or federal court that makes a determination establishes a policy for the state.
Image by Sparky2000Under a longstanding doctrine known as legislative immunity, legislators are generally immune from civil liability for their official acts. On the other hand, a derivative doctrine, called the legislative privilege, creates a privilege against giving evidence on official legislative acts.
Image by FokusiertAs the 2023-24 Legislative Session comes to a close on Saturday, August 31, there are a number of reminders of key rules to keep in mind during the final four weeks of the Session.
Image by ericb007There are rules for those leaving government service, which we refer to as the “revolving door” between the public and private sectors. These provisions of the California Government Code are found in the Political Reform Act of 1974, which places restrictions upon legislators and other public officials when they leave government service.
Image by Vitalii VodolazskyiCalifornia’s Office of Administrative Law (OAL) plays several roles concerning the rulemaking activities of the state’s two hundred regulatory agencies, departments, boards, and commissions. There is not just the “regular” rulemaking, but also emergency rulemaking, and even review of “underground” regulations.