Chris Micheli – Page 290 – California Globe

California Legislature’s Organization and Structure

November 20, 2019 7:41 amNovember 20, 2019 7:44 am

The organization and structure of the California Legislature is established by the California Constitution, specifically in Article IV. Half a dozen sections of Article 4 relate to the organization and structure of the Legislature. Section 1 provides specifically that “The...

General Versus Special Statutes

November 18, 2019 6:08 amNovember 17, 2019 4:41 pm

Most Capitol observers do not often come across bills that delineate between general or special statutes. What is a general statute versus a special statute? A general statute is essentially a law that pertains uniformly to an entire community or all persons...

A Bill’s ‘Keys’ – What Are They?

November 15, 2019 6:03 amNovember 15, 2019 6:21 am

Each bill in the California Legislature contains certain features such as an enacting clause, a title, the author’s name, a bill number, and the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, among other provisions. At the end of the Legislative Counsel’s Digest is a...

Effective Versus Operative Dates of Statutes

November 13, 2019 6:04 amNovember 12, 2019 7:06 am

There is often confusion regarding effective versus operative dates. Specifically, Capitol observers often inquire when a statute actually “takes effect.” When it takes effect can be different than when the statute is operative. January 1 following the year a bill...

Utilizing Lobbying Coalitions

November 11, 2019 3:52 amNovember 10, 2019 9:03 pm

A vital and common aspect of lobbying in California and other jurisdictions is to join forces with other similarly situated parties so that a larger group is more powerful and effective than a single voice or even just a few....

The Work of the Legislature’s Joint Committees

November 8, 2019 2:21 amNovember 7, 2019 6:34 am

The California Legislature has a number of joint committees that are comprised of members of the Senate and Assembly and are intended to cover issues of mutual interest. The three main joint committees deal with legislative rules, the state budget...

Different Vote Requirements for California Legislative Actions and Bills

November 6, 2019 7:26 amNovember 6, 2019 7:28 am

Most Capitol observers are only aware of majority vote and 2/3 majority vote requirements for California legislation. However, there are actually several other categories of vote requirements on bills that come before the Legislature. The following are those categories and...