California Legislature Archives - Page 44 of 50

California’s Most Memorable Political Moments of 2019

December 31, 2019 2:08 amDecember 31, 2019 7:57 am

During his swearing in on January 7, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom wowed the crowds at his inauguration. But many wondered about his intentions following eight years as a frustrated and even bored California Lieutenant Governor. Newsom did not disappoint in...

What is an ‘Appropriations Measure?’

December 27, 2019 6:08 amDecember 27, 2019 7:23 am

What is an “appropriations measure”? Unfortunately, California law does not define this term. However, it is used frequently. California’s Legislative Counsel defines an appropriation as “the amount of money made available for expenditure by a specific entity for a specific...

Judging the Qualifications of Members of the California Legislature

December 23, 2019 6:09 amDecember 23, 2019 6:29 am

California Constitution Article IV, Section 5(a)(1) specifies: “Each house of the Legislature shall judge the qualifications and elections of its Members and, by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, may expel a Member.” The courts...

What is a Resolution?

December 18, 2019 8:19 amDecember 18, 2019 2:08 pm

What is a “resolution”? Although resolutions and concurrent resolutions are mentioned several times in Article IV of the California Constitution, neither term is defined in that document. There also is not a definition for either term in the Government Code....

Utilizing Lobbying Coalitions

November 11, 2019 3:52 amNovember 10, 2019 9:03 pm

A vital and common aspect of lobbying in California and other jurisdictions is to join forces with other similarly situated parties so that a larger group is more powerful and effective than a single voice or even just a few....

Different Vote Requirements for California Legislative Actions and Bills

November 6, 2019 7:26 amNovember 6, 2019 7:28 am

Most Capitol observers are only aware of majority vote and 2/3 majority vote requirements for California legislation. However, there are actually several other categories of vote requirements on bills that come before the Legislature. The following are those categories and...

Utility Breakup Plan: Two Attorneys Say ‘PG&E Too Big to Succeed’

November 5, 2019 2:05 amNovember 5, 2019 8:19 pm

The opening paragraph of a lawsuit names the California Public Utilities Commission, California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Finance Director Keely Bosler, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and all of the CPUC Commissioners, Marybel Batjer, Liane Randolph, Martha Guzman...