Chris Micheli – Page 400 – California Globe

Comparing State and Federal Judiciaries

May 20, 2019 6:18 amMay 20, 2019 6:25 am

There are both federal and state judicial branches and separate court systems at both levels of government. The federal courts are established in Article III of the United States Constitution, while the state courts are established in Article VI of...

‘Gut-and-Amend Bills’ in the California Legislature

May 17, 2019 8:21 amMay 17, 2019 8:28 am

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...

‘Spot Bills’ in the California Legislature

May 13, 2019 6:32 amMay 13, 2019 9:23 am

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...

California’s Executive Branch and Administrative Agencies

May 10, 2019 6:19 amMay 10, 2019 10:02 am

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...

Executive Branch Provisions Found in Statutes

May 6, 2019 3:03 amMay 5, 2019 4:58 pm

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...

California’s 2,300 Special Districts

May 3, 2019 2:10 amMay 3, 2019 6:41 am

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...

California City Government Overview

April 29, 2019 6:23 amMay 3, 2019 7:01 am

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...