Image by El NarizWe hear most often in the California Legislature that a rule is being “waived” or that someone is seeking a “rule waiver.” However, many rules may be “dispensed with” or “suspended,” rather than waived. So, what is the correct terminology to be used? Fortunately, or unfortunately, all of the above is the answer, depending on the specific rule.
California bill volume, image by create jobs 51The California Legislature has a combined 55 standing committees, with 33 in the Assembly and 22 in the Senate. There were 2,661 bills introduced during the 2023 Legislative Session. Those standing committees, and their hardworking consultants (along with their minority party counterparts), reviewed and analyzed thousands of bills during the past two years.
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Under the dome, image by Cheri AlguireANALYSIS – Bills signed into law by the Governor that contain an urgency clause become urgency statutes or urgency clause statutes. Under the California Constitution, urgency clause bills go into effect immediately upon their enactment.
The state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Rigucci, via Shutterstock)With the recently concluded 2017-18 legislative session, it is valuable to look at some of the key data, including bill introductions, the fate of those bills, the work of the committees, the lawmakers’ legislation and the actions of the governor. So let’s crunch some numbers: We’ll look at the Senate first.
A dermonstrator at a Sacramento rally against sexual misconduct. (Photo: Tim Foster/Capitol Weekly)Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, a first-term lawmaker, is among the most prominent figures in the California Capitol working to combat sexual harassment. She’s not only become the Legislature’s de facto point person on sexual misconduct, but also responsible for reshaping the current harassment-reporting process that many say has failed victims.
State Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Shuttesrstock)This is the final installment in a series of articles dealing with the procedural myths and realities of the California Legislature.
Chamber of the state Assembly in the Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: Felix Lipov)This is the third in a series of detailed articles dealing with the inner workings of the California Legislature. In this installment, we focus on the rules surrounding committee hearings, floor actions and special sessions.
The California coast along Redwood National Park, north Humboldt County, (Photo: Don Forthuber, redwoods.info)A move to oust the executive director of the California Coastal Commission is under way, an effort that marks the most significant attempt against the commission’s ranking administrator in two decades. Commission Chair Steve Kinsey wrote a letter to Executive Director Charles Lester, saying the 12-member panel “will consider whether to dismiss you” at the commission’s February meeting.