California Constitution – California Globe

Bills Taking Immediate Effect in California

October 24, 2025 2:00 pmOctober 24, 2025 2:01 pm

Article IV of the California Constitution deals with the Legislature and the legislative process in this state. The Legislature enacts statutes by using bills. Bills that are enacted in California, per the state Constitution, generally take effect on January 1...

2025 Session Governor Bill Signing Messages

October 14, 2025 2:09 pmOctober 14, 2025 2:09 pm

Like governors before him, Governor Gavin Newsom on occasion includes a “signing message” with bills that he has signed. Although only veto messages are specified in the California Constitution, governors have historically used signing messages to express their intent or...

A Reminder about Acting Governors in California

September 25, 2025 8:00 amSeptember 25, 2025 8:00 am

With Governor Gavin Newsom in New York City this week to attend Climate Week activities, this is a short explanation of why he cannot act on the bills pending final action on his Desk, but why, in theory, Lt. Governor...

General Versus Special Statutes

September 8, 2025 2:00 pmSeptember 8, 2025 3:17 pm

Capitol observers will come across bills that delineate between general or special statutes. So, what is a general statute versus a special or local statute? A general statute is essentially a law that pertains uniformly to an entire community or all persons...

How the Legislature Complies with Proposition 54’s 72-Hour Rule

September 6, 2025 2:00 pmSeptember 6, 2025 2:07 pm

Proposition 54, which was enacted by the voters at the November 2016 general election, adopted constitutional and statutory changes dealing with bill amendments and recordings of legislative proceedings. Among those provisions, how does the California Legislature comply with Prop. 54’s...

Should Adding an Urgency Clause be a Ministerial Act?

September 5, 2025 2:00 pmSeptember 5, 2025 9:25 pm

California’s Constitution in Article IV, Section 8 deals with urgency statutes. Section 8(c)(3) provides that urgency clause bills go into effect immediately upon their enactment. That is the distinction between a regular bill and an urgency clause bill. A regular...

Are Legislative Findings in Voters FIRST Act Bills Sufficient?

September 2, 2025 2:39 pmSeptember 2, 2025 2:39 pm

In reviewing recent legislation that proposes changes to the California Voters FIRST Act, as enacted by the voters by Prop. 11 in 2008, the same legislative finding and declaration is made in each bill. It is a simplistic statement that...