California's State Capitol, Sacramento CA. Image by MattGushNew Year’s resolutions are a staple for many folks, a way to establish goals for themselves they believe will make their lives better. With that in mind, we posed this question to our panel of Capitol observers: What one resolution would you suggest to lawmakers for 2025?
California Governor's sealFirst, have you heard of the Commission on the Governorship? In the California Constitution, Section 10, there are provisions related to what happens when a vacancy occurs in the office of the Governor.
Image by metamorworksOPINION – Climate policy progress will surely face new challenges with the second Trump administration seemingly intent on undercutting both state and federal programs. But that should not diminish California’s resolve to push the envelope on cost-effective technological innovations for which the state is so well known.
California law, image by designer491.There are a number of publications that are regularly used by the California Legislature. Of note is that several of these publications are specified in the California Government Code.
Image by megafloppOPINION – The voters repeatedly have said that housing is their number one concern, and yet six years into the Newsom administration, there is little to show for the tens of billions that have been spent on housing since 2019.
Susannah Delano Close the Gap California. Photo by Joha Harrison, Capitol Weekly Activism is something Susannah Delano was exposed to from birth. “It’s kind of the family business in some ways,” she said. Now, she heads Close the Gap California, a statewide campaign to close the gender gap in the California Legislature by 2028.
California State Capitol dome at dusk. Image by WallentineCalifornia has three types of open meetings laws that apply to local and state governmental entities. These laws, adopted over the years, apply to state agencies and departments, the Legislature, and local entities (including city councils and boards of supervisors).
Assembly swearing-in, photo by Rich Ehisen, Capitol WeeklyThe 2025-2026 legislative session kicked off on Monday with the swearing in of lawmakers old and new. Both chambers then adjourned until Jan. 6, 2025. In this edition of Capitol Briefs we share a few tidbits from Monday’s festivities.
Image by cagkansayinThere are two areas of confusion regarding properly addressing the presiding officer of a legislative committee or on the floor. The rules of the California Legislature provide some guidance, as do Mason’s Legislative Manual.
Photo via Lanterman HouseFrank Lanterman won an assembly seat in 1950 with one goal: securing a steady water supply for his family’s land holdings and subdivisions in the Verdugo hills community of La Cañada outside Los Angeles, a task he completed in his first year in office. In the years to come, his influence would expand far beyond his hometown and he would become one of the most consequential legislators of his time by leading the effort to transform how California cares for people with severe mental illness.