Chris Micheli – Page 254 – California Globe

Resignations in the California Legislature

December 31, 2021 3:05 pmJanuary 3, 2022 4:21 am

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...

Filling a Vacancy in the California Legislature

December 31, 2021 7:00 amJanuary 3, 2022 4:22 am

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...

A sea of empty desks inside the California State Assembly

Gifts and Honoraria and California Legislators

December 30, 2021 3:05 pmJanuary 3, 2022 4:21 am

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...

When is the California Legislature Permitted to Meet in Closed Session?

December 30, 2021 10:07 amJanuary 3, 2022 4:23 am

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...

Expulsion or Suspension of California State Legislators

December 29, 2021 5:28 pmJanuary 3, 2022 4:24 am

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…”...

Limits on Certain Types of California Legislative Measures

December 29, 2021 6:54 amDecember 29, 2021 7:08 am

Article IV, Section 8.5 was added to the California Constitution by Proposition 219, the “Uniform Application of Ballot Measures Amendment,” at the June 1998 statewide primary election, to require ballot measures, initiatives, referrals, and local measures, to apply uniformly to...

The California Governor’s ‘Supreme Executive Power’

December 28, 2021 2:45 pmDecember 28, 2021 3:11 pm

Article V, Section 1 of the California Constitution provides: “The supreme executive power of this State is vested in the Governor. The Governor shall see that the law is faithfully executed.” What is the “supreme executive power”? The term “supreme...