California Senate Archives - Page 2 of 3

Assembly and Senate Badges: Lawmakers, Not Cops

April 20, 2022 2:22 amApril 20, 2022 4:27 pm

As a journalist covering California politics from localized issues to state bills to actions with national and international consequences, I’m often asked a lot of fun questions. Sometimes it’s simply asking where a certain petition is online, which is usually...

Why Do Assembly and Senate Committees Meet Jointly?

April 10, 2022 7:12 pmApril 10, 2022 6:15 pm

Several times per year, Assembly and Senate committees will hold a “joint hearing.” Even though there are 32 Assembly standing committees and 22 Senate standing committees, many have the same or similar jurisdictions. And, on occasion, they hold hearings, which...

Calif. Senate Clings to Mask Mandate Even as Gov. Announces He’s Dropping It

March 1, 2022 9:44 am

Even after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday he was dropping the mask mandate on school kids March 12, the California State Senate leaders quickly sent a memo out to Senators and staff announcing mask mandates would remain in place while...

California’s Limits on Bill Introductions

January 17, 2022 11:54 amJanuary 17, 2022 12:02 pm

About a quarter of this country’s legislatures, including California, limit the number of bill introductions by their elected officials. According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), over 100,000 bills are introduced annually in state legislatures in...

A Sampling of Differences in the Legislative Process between the Assembly and Senate

July 20, 2021 2:10 amJuly 22, 2021 8:17 am

There are a number of differences between the Assembly and the Senate in terms of the California legislative process, many of which are minor in nature. However, for students of the process, as well as those involved in the State...

2021 Legislative Session Bill Introductions

February 26, 2021 2:06 amMarch 4, 2021 11:52 am

Friday, February 19, was the last day to introduce bills for the 2021 Legislative Session. We saw 539 new bills (about 200 fewer than last year) introduced between the two houses on the final day last week. There was a...

L.A. Councilman de León Bungles Pledge of Allegiance, Gets Lambasted on Twitter

January 26, 2021 8:54 pmJanuary 26, 2021 8:54 pm

Former California Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León, also known as Kevin Alexander Leon before he changed his name, opened up a meeting of the Los Angeles City Council with the Pledge of Allegiance, only he didn’t remember the...