Image by style-photographyOPINION – In an effort to look tough on retail theft, the California Legislature is considering an action that could eliminate a form of commerce that has long been a lifeline for working-class consumers: the ability to buy and sell used goods through online classifieds.
Image by NanoStockkMainly because legislative committees in the California Legislature have to process so many bills at their limited hearings, there is little public debate, particularly among legislators, regarding bills that are heard in the committees of the State Senate and State Assembly. Nonetheless, there are instances when a legislator’s public statements may be considered by the judiciary.
Sacramento, California, United States. Image by Png-StudioFriday is the deadline for bills to get out of their house of origin, so this week lawmakers are addressing hundreds of bills in short order. Here is just a sampling of some of those measures.
Image by tumsasedgarsCalifornia’s Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which is patterned after the federal APA, sets forth the procedures by which the state’s executive branch agencies and departments must adopt regulations. In that vein, there are a few items of interest for those who participate in the rulemaking projects of state agencies.
Flag of California in a mixed stack of coins. Image by eyegelbEagle-eyed readers of Capitol Weekly’s recent report on quarterly lobbying payments might have spotted an unfamiliar firm name among the top recipients for the first quarter of 2024: the Deveau Burr Group. Especially close readers also might have noticed that Strategies 360, a perennial top firm in Sacramento, was conspicuously absent from the list of top payees for the quarter.
California justice, image by MehaniqOn occasion, bills in the California Legislature contain severability clauses. These types of bills contain multiple provisions and, when those types of bills are challenged in litigation, a court may be required to determine whether the valid provisions are “severable” from the law’s invalid provisions.
Loupe one hundred dollars banknotes on keyboard. Finding financial earnings on the internet conceptWhile California campaigns and election regulators like the California Fair Political Practices Commission have generally succeeded in providing transparency to the contribution side of the campaign finance ledger, they’ve fallen comparatively short when it comes to expenditures.
On occasion, readers can find bills in the California Legislature that make “continuous appropriations.” What are these types of appropriations? Why are they used? How are they drafted by the attorneys at the Office of Legislative Counsel?
Image by Vaclav MatousOPINION – If you’re like us, you’re inspired by the natural world and eager to see California’s beautiful mountains, forests, and lakes protected for future generations. You also might be surprised to hear that the health and survival of these places depends on one species more than most: beavers. Put simply, beavers are our partners in protecting and restoring California.
Image Karin Hildebrand Lau
What is a mandated local program? Both the California Constitution and the California Government Code describe in detail a state-mandated local program. As a result of these laws, a California bill is identified as mandating or not mandating a local program that requires reimbursement of costs by the state.