One of the controversial occurrences during the annual California Legislative Session is so-called “gut-and-amend bills.” According to the Legislative Counsel, these measures are defined as “when amendments to a bill remove the current contents in their entirety and replace them...
During the first two months generally of the California Legislative Session, over 2,500 bills are usually introduced. Hundreds of those bills are “spot bills” or “intent bills.” What are they and why are they used? In the State Assembly this...
The executive branch of California’s state government is set forth in Article V of the state constitution and is one of the three branches of state government, just like at the federal level. The major distinction is that the state...
Here are some interesting provisions about the executive branch found in state statutes (along with the relevant section): General provisions are found in Article 1 of the Government Code in Sections 12001 – 12002. The Governor may appoint and set...
As part of California’s local government structure, special districts are agencies that provide specialized services across the state. Special districts are created and governed by the local residents who vote to form them as local governmental entities. Each special district...
The over 475 cities provide a wide range of municipal services including police, fire, parks, and libraries. The city government is headed by an elected or appointed mayor to whom department heads are responsible. The city council usually appoints a...
The 58 counties, which cover the entire state, are deemed “political subdivisions of the state” under the California Constitution and they provide services on behalf of the state, such as health and human service programs, as well as countywide services...