Posts Tagged: democrats
News
AB 3024, The Stop Hate Littering Act, would expand the definition of “intimidation by threat of violence” under the Ralph Civil Rights Act of 1976 to include “distribution of hateful materials on the private property of another without authorization for the purpose of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property or in reckless disregard of the risk of terrorizing the owner or occupant of that private property.”
News
While the GOP’s California drought is unquestionably bad – Republicans have lost 38 consecutive statewide contests since 2008, the worst active streak for the party in any state – it actually pales in comparison to the Democrats’ current ineptitude in more than half a dozen states.
Opinion
OPINION – Legislation introduced this session in the California Assembly (AB 3038) would require all K-12 schools to have an armed police officer stationed on campus. Instead of being a meaningful step toward school safety, this is the latest example of a simplistic, inadequate, and politically expedient solution being offered based on the powerful myth that “good guys with guns” prevent acts of extreme violence.
News
Perception is often reality in politics and, fairly or not, a series of viral videos showing criminals brazenly shoplifting from California stores has some people thinking the Golden State has become lawless. So with law enforcement and retail interests eyeing another ballot measure to reform Proposition 47, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats have opted to take on the state’s perception problem themselves, and they’re inviting Republicans along for the ride.
News
There is a growing acceptance in mental health circles that some psychedelics – particularly psilocybin, MDMA, Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and mescaline – have great promise for treating certain mental health disorders, including post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. But some observers fear legalizing it could kick off a psilocybin Gold Rush that emphasizes profits over patient care.
Micheli Files
Occasionally I have been asked whether the Legislature’s adopted rules – the Assembly Rules, Senate Rules, and Joint Rules – have equal standing as legislative process rules found in the California Constitution. This question is particularly relevant because these three sets of legislative rules flow from a specific grant of authority in the state Constitution.
Opinion
OPINION – By December, 73 out of 120 state legislators will have left the building in just two years. As term limit reform kicks in, some critics have grumbled that this turnover is damaging, because we’re losing established leaders and decades of accumulated experience. What’s being overlooked is the leadership and experience we’re gaining.
Opinion
OPINION – There will be another primary election on Tuesday, and the result will be another indictment of this state’s failed top-two primary experiment. It’s time we go back to a system in which we let voters from all parties — Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Greens – select a candidate in primary elections and then let a battle of contrasting political ideas play out in the fall.
Analysis
There’s only two weeks before the completion of the 2024 March Primary and early numbers are suggesting an historically low turnout. Will this have an impact on a big race like the US Senate contest? Maybe.
Micheli Files
Those who listen to the Assembly or Senate Floors will often hear the “call of the house” being made and that “a quorum is established” or that the “quorum call is lifted.” What do these different phrases mean and why are they used?
Photo courtesy of California Assembly Democrats via YouTube
