California Legislature – Page 17

What Comes After Reducing Bill Limits?

January 14, 2025 2:30 amJanuary 14, 2025 6:21 am

Now that the bill introduction limits have been reduced in both the Assembly (thank you, Speaker Rivas) and Senate (thank you, PT McGuire), I hope that a few other things might change in the legislative process. First, in light of...

California Courts and Special or Extraordinary Sessions

January 8, 2025 2:30 amJanuary 8, 2025 2:31 am

The Governor of California has the authority to call a special or extraordinary session of the Legislature pursuant to the state Constitution. Article IV, Section 3(b) provides: “On extraordinary occasions the Governor by proclamation may cause the Legislature to assemble...

California State Capitol dome shines against blue sky

California Courts and Retroactivity of Criminal Statutes

January 7, 2025 2:30 amJanuary 7, 2025 2:31 am

While we know that a general principle of statutory construction is to apply new laws prospectively, criminal law statutes can be unique particularly problematic when it comes to their effective or operative dates. The following is a recent state appellate...

California Courts and Presentation of Fiscal Bills to the Governor

December 31, 2024 2:30 amDecember 31, 2024 6:35 am

Article IV, Section 12(c)(4) of the California Constitution requires appropriations bills to be presented to the Governor for final action after the Budget Bill has been enacted. How have California courts viewed this requirement? One case explores the actual timing...

California Courts and Prospective Application of Laws

December 30, 2024 2:30 amDecember 30, 2024 2:31 am

California courts follow the statutory construction principle that statutes are to be applied prospectively unless there is clear evidence that the Legislature intended retroactive application as well. What are some recent appellate court statements on the topic of prospective application...

California Courts and the Title of a Bill

December 27, 2024 7:33 amDecember 27, 2024 7:33 am

One of the constitutional requirements for a bill in the California Legislature is that every bill must contain a Title. That Title plays several important roles including advising the reader of what is the general subject matter of the bill...

LA Times Angles for High-Speed Rail As ‘Jobs’ Program

December 26, 2024 9:40 amDecember 28, 2024 9:23 am

What a train wreck. The Los Angeles Times is touting how California’s high-speed rail project “trains workers and provides thousands of jobs in the Central Valley.” You read that right. They finally admit that it’s just a union jobs program....