California bills – California Globe

Frequently Asked Questions about California Bills with Different Vote Requirements

May 30, 2024 2:30 amMay 29, 2024 9:50 pm

How many possible vote requirements are there for bills in the California Legislature? There are six possible vote thresholds required for passage of bills in order to enact a statute. Which bills require a 55% vote? In the 2023 Session,...

Good Example of Municipal Affair Explanation

April 14, 2024 3:00 pmApril 14, 2024 3:01 pm

When I come across a good example of legislative drafting, I like to highlight it. In some bills, there is a determination made between whether a bill is a “matter of statewide concern” or the bill is a “municipal affair.”...

Frequently Asked Questions About California Bills

January 4, 2024 2:30 amJanuary 4, 2024 2:31 am

Do only urgency clause bills take effect immediately? Under Article IV, Section 8(c)(3) of the California Constitution, “statutes calling elections, statutes providing for tax levies or appropriations for the usual current expenses of the State, and urgency statutes shall go...

Four Questions to Ask When Reading a California Bill

December 26, 2023 2:30 amDecember 26, 2023 2:31 am

While there are several tips for reading and understanding what a bill in the California Legislature proposes to do, the key is to review the main sections of the bill which contain the substantive changes in the law. There are...

Frequently Asked Questions about ‘Plus Sections’ in California Bills

December 12, 2023 6:49 amDecember 12, 2023 6:49 am

What is a double-jointing plus section? This section is used to address when one bill would “chapter out” the language of a bill that amends the same code section if it got enacted earlier. What is an example of a...

Frequently Asked Questions about Tax Levies in California Bills

November 21, 2023 2:45 amNovember 21, 2023 2:46 am

There is often confusion regarding whether a bill is a tax levy or not, and what a “tax levy” designation actually means. To make matters worse, a common misconception is that a tax levy is a bill that proposes a...

Should California Bill Statements Be Justified?

November 4, 2023 2:30 amNovember 4, 2023 2:31 am

I continue to be concerned about statements made in California bills, whether they are findings and declarations, urgency clauses, special statutes, etc. My concern is that these statements are based upon whatever information is provided by the bill author’s office...