Senate Archives - Page 11 of 13

Senate Resolution 86 a Power Grab by Sen. President Toni Atkins During ‘Emergency?’

March 19, 2020 2:21 amMarch 19, 2020 11:21 am

If Senators or Assembly members can vote remotely, does California need a full time Legislature? While most of the California public and news media was focused on the coronavirus earlier this week, the California State Senate worked into the...

California Legislature: Concurrence in Bill Amendments

March 16, 2020 6:15 amMarch 15, 2020 8:52 pm

As the California Legislature is a bicameral body, after a bill has been passed by its house of origin, it is transmitted to the other house for further consideration. If the second house makes amendments to the bill, then the...

Sending or Withdrawing Bills from the Floor

March 13, 2020 2:16 amMarch 12, 2020 8:10 pm

In the California Legislature, generally committees deal with legislation before passing measures to the Floor of either the Assembly or Senate. However, there are rare instances where legislators choose to return a bill to committee when it is pending on...

The Three Readings of a Bill and Other Floor Procedures in the California Legislature

March 11, 2020 6:01 amMarch 11, 2020 6:02 am

The California Constitution requires a bill to be “read” three times before it can be debated and voted upon by either house. A “reading” of a bill in the Assembly or Senate is defined as being the presentation of the...

The ‘Suspense File’ Process Used in Considering Fiscal Legislation

March 9, 2020 2:20 amMarch 8, 2020 5:43 pm

The two Appropriations Committees in the California Legislature have a unique procedure they each use called the “Suspense File.” Basically, any bill which has been keyed “fiscal” by the Legislative Counsel is referred to the fiscal committee in each house,...

A sea of empty desks inside the California State Assembly

The Role of the Legislative Ethics Committees

February 28, 2020 6:27 amFebruary 28, 2020 6:32 am

Ethics in the California Legislature is an important topic. As such, both houses of the Legislature have their own ethics committees. The Senate has adopted an official Code of Conduct for its members, while the Assembly has not. Nonetheless, both...

California Globe Voter Guide to the 2020 March Primary

February 26, 2020 5:32 amFebruary 26, 2020 5:37 pm

California is having its first ever early March Primary Election this March 3, 2020. California Globe is providing you a peek into the races statewide, and some hot seats and issues. Remember, registration deadline is February 18. However, California does...