Image by Yuriy KThere is not a single factor that makes lawmaking in California difficult. Instead, it is a combination of factors that impacts resolution of public policy issues by the Legislature and sometimes results in gridlock or lack of success.
Cooperation image by metamorworksMICHELI FILES: In talking with former staff from the Department of Finance (DOF) the past few weeks, the following are the key practical tips that were shared with me for those working with the staff members of the Governor’s Finance Department. While some of these recommendations may seem obvious, many of them bear repeating.
A high-speed electronic hookup carrying data via an ethernet connection. (Photo: Everything You Need, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The past two years have made it abundantly clear that broadband is essential to 21st century living in California. Broadband has become vital for education, remote work, telehealth, entertainment and family connections. It’s necessary that we prioritize finding solutions to close the digital divide that will benefit rural and urban communities.
The state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Kit Leong, via Shutterstock)ANALYSIS: One of the long-running points of contention when California courts examine what’s known as “legislative intent” is the judiciary’s general disdain for statements made by the authors of legislation. Those clear-language statements accompanying bills, common in the Capitol, seek to offer guidance and state the purpose and intention of an author’s legislation.
An illustration of California cities that will become part of redrawn political districts for the 2022 elections. (Image: jmrainbow, via Shutterstock)California’s decennial battle to redraw the state’s political boundaries has moved into uncharted territory, a casualty of the pandemic and unprecedented delays in the release of census data. The U.S. Census Bureau recently announced its data – the foundation of political map-making — will be released to all states this year by Sept. 30, a full six months later than the original release date.
The state Capitol in Sacramento, home of the Legislature. (Photo: SchnepfDesign, via Shutterstock))In the California Legislature, all types of legislative measures (bills, resolutions and constitutional amendments), as well amendments to those measures, can only be introduced or processed if they are in “Legislative Counsel form.” The purpose is to ensure greater consistency in California’s statutes. The nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Counsel serves as legal counsel and bill drafters to California legislators and the governor.
A portion of California and its key regions in the 2021 redistricting. (Photo: Victor Maschek)The 2021 redistricting has begun in earnest with the seating of the first eight members of the California Citizens Commission, the so-called “Lucky Eight” because they were seated after a random draw of ping-pong balls. In the quarantine era, this drawing, carried live, likely qualified as riveting entertainment.
An illustration of a California highway sign depicting cannabis legalization.(Image: Rex Wholster Though recreational marijuana has been legal in the state since January, good luck trying to open a marijuana business in much of the state. The state gives local jurisdictions the power to decide what type and how much cannabis businesses to allow. While big cities like San Francisco and San Jose allowed commercial activity right away, many other communities have banned it or are still debating how much to let in
Nurses and physicians in a busy hospital corridor. (Photo: Monkey Business Images)The California Nurses Association is still committed to pushing through its controversial universal health care bill despite stiff opposition from the Democratic Assembly Speaker and medical professional organizations. The union has a strong ally in front-runner gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom, who says that a single-payer system as proposed in Senate Bill 562 is the best way to provide health care to all.
The state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Adonis Villanueva)Capitol observers often complain about certain procedural aspects of California lawmaking. So I took an informal poll: I asked some of my lobbying colleagues, as well as staff in the Legislature from both houses and both political parties, for suggestions on how to make things more efficient.