Quite often bills introduced in the California Legislature without substantive language in them are called “spot bills.” However, that is not always the case even though both spot and intent bills act as placeholders with substantive amendments to be added...
One method to help ascertain the legislative intent behind a specified measure is a letter that is published in the Assembly Daily Journal or the Senate Daily Journal by the bill’s author. These letters, for which there are many each...
At the end of a California Legislative Session, Capitol observers will hear about the need to have “chaptering out amendments” adopted. However, that is not the correct term to use. “Chaptering out” is the problem that needs to be addressed...
A common occurrence in California legislation is a bill that contains in the text of the measure the phrase, “notwithstanding any other provision of law…” or something similar. What does this phrase mean? And why would this phrase be used...
On occasion, readers can find bills in the California Legislature that make “continuous appropriations.” What are these types of appropriations? Recall that California law does not define the term “appropriation,” even though we find that term in the State Constitution...
Publicly-traded corporations with their principal executive offices in California are reminded of their legal obligations under two California statutes to have specified individuals on their boards of directors. SB 826, by Sen Hannah Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), enacted in 2018,...
Submitted to the California Attorney General in early November, two similar ballot measures (21-0037 and 21-0038) would address the reduction and mitigation of major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, paid for by major tax increases. Both measures have the same...