California Legislature – Page 68

A Look at California Legislation Through the House of Origin Deadline

June 2, 2023 2:06 pmJune 2, 2023 2:12 pm

Now that the June 2 House of Origin deadline has passed in the California Legislature, I wanted to look at the actions on bills so far in the 2023 Regular Session. The following is the information by house (any errors...

Are Legislative Findings in Voters FIRST Act Bills Sufficient?

May 30, 2023 2:45 amMay 30, 2023 2:46 am

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

California’s Local Agencies Levying Fees

May 29, 2023 2:30 amMay 29, 2023 2:31 am

On occasion, a reader may come across language in California legislation regarding the authority of local agencies to levy fees, thereby not requiring reimbursement by the state due to a state-mandated local program. In this type of bill, there is...

Gov. Newsom to Expedite Water, Clean Energy Projects Delayed by His Own Politics

May 22, 2023 9:06 amMay 23, 2023 4:01 pm

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced last week that he now is seeking to fast track water, storage and clean energy projects delayed by environmental lawsuits and the byzantine permitting process. This may be a great move however, Newsom has approved...

Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Eliminate Vote-by-Mail Elections and Secret Ballots for Farm Workers

May 16, 2023 7:26 amJune 13, 2025 7:12 am

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 113 authored by the Committee on Budget, into law Monday to eliminate vote-by-mail in elections by farm workers for union certification. This will usher in a “card check” system in which United Farm Workers labor...

Looking Towards Suspense File Voting

May 11, 2023 6:27 amMay 11, 2023 6:38 am

Of the 2,661 bills introduced during the 2023 California Legislative Session, there are 1,770 Assembly Bills and 891 Senate Bills. Of those, just over 74% are keyed “fiscal” by the Office of Legislative Counsel. This means that if all of...

California Holds the Key to Western Water Security

May 9, 2023 9:00 amMay 9, 2023 9:01 am

Dams and aqueducts on the Colorado River make civilization possible in the American Southwest. But for the last 20 years, as a prolonged drought has gripped the region, withdrawals from the river have averaged 15 million acre-feet per year, while inflows into...