Capitol and flag, by Karin Hildebrand LauANALYSIS – Around the country, and at the federal level, there is an ongoing debate among legislative lawyers whether a severability clause must be included in legislation.
CA Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, photo from his candidate websiteThe California insurance market is in flux. We asked our Experts to rate, on a scale of one to 10, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s handling of this situation so far.
L to R, Steve Swatt, Susie Swatt, Jeff Raimundo, Becky LaVally. Photo courtesy of Steve SwattJeff Raimundo – news reporter, political consultant, author and tireless community volunteer — passed away last week after a tough three-year battle with prostate cancer.
California State Librarian Greg LucasCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: California State Librarian Greg Lucas joins us for a wide-ranging discussion that includes his memories of The Annex, the fraternal culture that prevailed in the building decades ago, the changing nature of political media coverage, the role the Schwarzeneggers played in reimagining the Capitol, and a look at the nature of Democracy itself.
The California state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)Each bill in the California Legislature contains certain, required features such as an enacting clause, a title, the author’s name, a bill number, and the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, among other provisions.
Image by iQoncept via ShutterstockThe system established by the Political Reform Act is still so complex and so confusing that it’s difficult – if not downright impossible – to drill down on how much a special interest has spent to specifically influence a specific issue.
Michael Dyar, photo by Scott Duncan, Capitol WeeklyMichael Dyar, 28 is legislative director for Assemblymember Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, where his duties include crafting legislative packages, overseeing co-author requests and training new staff.
Governor Newsom signs emergency legislation to fight COVID-19, March 2020. From the website of the Office of the GovernorCAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Staffers, journalists and even lobbyists can get confused trying to understand the very specific processes and deadlines guiding the signing – or veto – of a bill, by the Governor. Our guest today answers all of these questions and explains the process. Lobbyist Chris Micheli, is the author of several books on lobbying, teaches at University of the Pacific, and is a frequent contributor to Capitol Weekly.
Image by udra11 via shutterstockCalifornia governments up and down the state spend millions in taxpayer dollars to lobby government officials in Sacramento.
Image by Niyazz via shutterstockMany questions can be raised when determining how intent statements, legislative findings and declarations should be viewed, particularly by the judicial branch of state government.