Legislative Counsel – California Globe

Requiring a Repeal of a Statute

October 13, 2025 2:00 pmOctober 13, 2025 2:01 pm

I came across a bill during the 2025 California Legislative Session that contains the following provision: Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2031. Why does a bill contain this provision? We...

Why Legislative Counsel Should Draft All Ballot Measures

October 4, 2025 4:13 pmOctober 4, 2025 4:13 pm

I found myself recently discussing initiatives and the common drafting concerns expressed by those who review them. With measures placed on the ballot by the Legislature, the attorneys in the Office of Legislative Counsel (OLC) for the California Legislature draft...

Statistics from the 2025 Legislative Session

October 2, 2025 12:57 pmOctober 2, 2025 12:57 pm

Because I am a self-professed legislative geek, I share the following statistics from the recently-concluded 2025 California Legislative Session: There were 2,397 bills introduced during the 2025 Legislative Session. Of those bills: 864 were Senate Bills. 1,533 were Assembly Bills....

California’s Redistricting Battle: Rally Against Newsom’s Plan

August 16, 2025 10:31 amAugust 16, 2025 10:31 am

Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal for a special election in November 2025 to redraw California’s congressional districts has quickly ignited fierce opposition from conservative leaders, reform advocates, and nonpartisan groups. His plan, which bypasses the state’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, is...

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...

The Role of the Legislative Counsel

October 8, 2024 2:13 pmOctober 8, 2024 2:13 pm

Most Capitol observers know that the Legislative Counsel and her deputies serve as the attorneys for the California Legislature. But their role is much broader than that. This article briefly describes the numerous activities that must be undertaken by the...

What Information Has to Be on the LegInfo Website?

April 19, 2024 3:00 pmApril 19, 2024 3:01 pm

California Government Code Title 2, Division 2, Part 2, Chapter 1, Article 2 imposes specified duties on the Legislative Counsel. Article 2 was added in 1945 by Chapter 111 and contains Section 10248, whose heading is “Public computer network; required...