Have you heard of the Commission on the Governorship? In the California Constitution, Section 10, there are provisions related to what happens when a vacancy occurs in the office of the Governor. This includes the “order of precedence” for succession...
Among other provisions, Article V, Section 14 of the California Constitution prohibits any honorarium being paid and limits gifts being made to state officers. Who are “state officers?” Section 14(f) defines “state officer” to mean the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General,...
From time-to-time, a state legislator chooses to resign his or her seat in the California Legislature. This has happened in several instances during the 2021 calendar year. How do resignations work in the Legislature? Government Code Title 1 (General), Division...
Over the past year, Capitol observers have witnessed vacancies occur in state legislative offices. What is the process for filling vacancies in the California Legislature? First, in Article IV, Section 2(d) of the California Constitution, it specifies that, “When a...
The California Constitution, in Article IV, Section 5, prohibits any honorarium being paid and limits gifts being made to state legislators. Government Code Title 9 (Political Reform), Chapter 9.5 (Ethics) deals with both topics as well. The following is a...
With the voters’ adoption of Proposition 64 at the November 2016 general election, there are greater “sunshine” rules for legislative proceedings of the California Legislature. Nonetheless, the state Constitution does provide a number of instances in which the Legislature can...
California’s Constitution, in Article IV, Section 5, provides that the Legislature is the judge of its Members and their ability to hold office. Section 5(a)(1) states: “Each house of the Legislature shall judge the qualifications and elections of its Members…”...