California Legislature – Page 112

Role of Legislative Counsel in Initiatives

November 8, 2020 11:45 amNovember 8, 2020 11:56 am

Many do not realize that the highly trained attorneys in the California Office of Legislative Counsel will draft an initiative for the statewide ballot. Under existing law, attorneys in the Legislative Counsel Bureau will assist in the preparation of an...

Drafting Considerations for a California Legislative Constitutional Amendment

October 30, 2020 6:47 amOctober 30, 2020 6:54 am

In the California Legislature, there are constitutional amendments which can be introduced in either house. Constitutional amendments require a 2/3 majority vote in both the Assembly and Senate in order to be placed on the statewide ballot. According to the...

Drafting Considerations for a California Legislative Resolution

October 28, 2020 6:30 amOctober 28, 2020 10:54 am

In the California Legislature, there are three types of resolutions. According to the Legislative Counsel, “two of these, concurrent resolutions and joint resolutions, require consideration and adoption by both houses of the Legislature before they can take effect. House (Assembly)...

The Anatomy a California Bill

October 26, 2020 6:21 amOctober 26, 2020 8:10 am

In the California Legislature, pursuant to Article IV, Section 8(b)(1), “the Legislature may make no law except by statute and may enact no statute except by bill.” As a result, a bill is what enacts a statute. The Legislative Counsel...

Convening the Next Legislative Session December 7th

October 21, 2020 2:49 amOctober 22, 2020 10:50 am

On Monday, December 7, 2020 at 12 noon, the California Legislature will convene its next two-year session. Although the new session begins in December 2020, it is designated the 2021-2022 Legislative Session. What are the legal requirements of convening the...

Special Rules for California Bill Drafting

October 20, 2020 2:45 amOctober 19, 2020 9:30 pm

With certain types of legislation in California, there are several unique drafting rules, such as for tax measures, bond measures, and criminal statutes. Tax Bills There is a misconception that a bill keyed as a “tax levy” is always a...

440,000 ‘Questionable’ Ballots Mailed Out in California’s Election

October 19, 2020 7:05 amOctober 20, 2020 12:32 pm

In May, California Globe warned 458,000 dead persons could be mailed ballots if the state moved to an all-mail in November 2020 election. This warning was based on a report by the Election Integrity Project. And then Gov. Gavin Newsom...