California Constitution – Page 2

Bills Containing a Local Mandate in California

October 5, 2026 9:21 amOctober 5, 2026 9:21 am

Article IV of the California Constitution deals with the Legislature and the legislative process in this state. The Legislature enacts statutes by passing bills. Bills that are enacted in California, per the state Constitution, may impose a mandate on local...

Bills Taking Immediate Effect in California

October 4, 2026 9:57 amOctober 4, 2026 9:57 am

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

CalPERS Can’t Show Its Work

October 1, 2026 6:00 amOctober 1, 2026 6:01 am

CalPERS just posted a 14.8% return for fiscal 2025-26. Assets reached $637.1 billion and the funded ratio rose to 85%, up from 79% a year earlier. Good news deserves a fair hearing, and it raises a question. If the books...

Commentary on Federal Constitutional Legislative Branch Provisions

September 29, 2026 2:30 amSeptember 29, 2026 8:06 am

California’s state government, with its three branches, is based upon the federal government and its three separate, but co-equal branches. Both the United States and California Constitutions set forth these three branches of government. The following provides commentary regarding the...

Bills Having a State Fiscal Effect in California

September 28, 2026 12:14 pmSeptember 28, 2026 12:14 pm

Article IV of the California Constitution deals with the Legislature and the legislative process in this state. The Legislature enacts statutes by passing bills. Bills may be designated “fiscal” if they create a state fiscal effect pursuant to Joint Rule...

How to Read a Bill in the California Legislature

September 23, 2026 2:00 pmSeptember 23, 2026 2:01 pm

This article is intended to provide one pathway to follow in reading a bill in the California Legislature. There are naturally several ways of doing so and many bill readers develop their own style or approach of doing so. The...

Can Vetoed Bills Be Overridden in the Second Year of Session?

September 11, 2026 7:09 amSeptember 11, 2026 7:09 am

Now that the California Legislature has concluded its 2026 Session, and Governor Gavin Newsom has until September 30 to act on all of the bills that reached his Desk this year, are vetoed bills considered by legislators in the second...