The California State Capitol building at dusk.Lawmakers are burning the midnight oil to address a huge number of bills before Saturday’s deadline. As such, they sent a handful of notable bills are on their way to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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 AP. With just days to go before the end of session, lawmakers addressed hundreds of bills on Tuesday. They have over 600 more to go before midnight on Saturday.
The California Assembly in session. Photo by APIn the latest edition of Capitol Briefs, we showcase movement on a handful of measures flying under the radar and share some interesting legislative stats compiled by lobbyist and regular Capitol Weekly contributor Chris Micheli.
Image by DouwdejagerOPINION – It wasn’t long ago that General Motors (GM) led a coalition of automotive companies to support the Trump administration’s assault on California’s right to set its own emission standards. Now, GM is at it again, this time targeting California’s auto lemon law, widely regarded as the best in the nation.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: In September 1933, in the depths of the Depression, Dr. Francis Townsend wrote a letter to the Long Beach Press-Telegram with an idea that would end the Depression and alleviate the endemic poverty for the nation’s elderly. Two years later his idea was a bill in congress. Our guest today, Dr. Edwin Amenta is the author of When Movements Matter: The Townsend Plan and the Rise of Social Security. He tells the story of the Townsend Plan, how it became a movement and how it changed the conversation about old age pensions in America and ultimately shaped the Social Security we know today.
Image by geckophotosOPINION – AB 3129 is deeply flawed legislation that would undermine California’s healthcare system — and the health of Californians — by imposing unnecessary and costly regulations.
Image by Dragon ClawsOPINION – As a former corporate employee and now a minority business owner, I have worked tirelessly to reduce workplace bias and discrimination. With my new company, I’m successfully using artificial intelligence to help solve these vexing problems, so I was surprised and disappointed when I recently reviewed well-intended, but terribly misguided, AI bias legislation
Image by SvanblarThere are 10 ballot measures set to go before voters in November. Which of them, if passed, will have the most long-term impact on Californians? Our experts weigh in.
Rat poison trap box container. Image by richard johnsonOPINION – Contrary to popular belief, rodents do not carry more parasites than other animals. It is worth noting however, that rats exposed to anticoagulants have significantly higher loads of Leptospira spp. infections – which can spillover to humans operating antagonistically against public health.