Author: Chris Micheli
Chris Micheli is an attorney and lobbyist with Snodgrass & Micheli, LLC, as well as an Adjunct Professor at McGeorge School of Law.
Trial Court Judge Rules Governor’s Executive Orders Are Limited in Scope
For those interested in the tensions between the legislative and executive branches of state government, today’s decision by a Sutter County Superior Court judge regarding Executive Orders (EOs) issued by Governor Newsom is an interesting case study based upon the...
Making Legislation More Readable
One of the issues that is discussed in legislative drafting is how to make legislation more “readable,” meaning how to make the text of legislative measures easier to understand by those who are subject to the law or those who...
An Overview of Proposition 54 and Its Impact on California Government
Proposition 54, which was enacted by the voters at the November 2016 general election, adopted constitutional and statutory changes dealing bill amendments and recordings of legislative proceedings. According to the Attorney General’s Ballot Summary, Prop. 54: Prohibits Legislature from passing...
Punctuation in California Legislation
Are there rules of punctuation when drafting legislation? As a general rule, the answer is no because general rules of English grammar, including punctuation, usually apply to legislative drafting. However, there are some instances when special rules do apply, including...
Drafting Considerations for a California Legislative Constitutional Amendment
In the California Legislature, there are constitutional amendments which can be introduced in either house. Constitutional amendments require a 2/3 majority vote in both the Assembly and Senate in order to be placed on the statewide ballot. According to the...
The Anatomy of a California Legislative Constitutional Amendment
In the California Legislature, the Members of the Assembly and Senate have the ability to place a constitutional amendment before the statewide electorate for consideration. The Legislative Counsel defines a constitutional amendment as “a resolution proposing a change to the...