Legislature – Page 14 – California Globe

California’s ‘Plain English’ Statutes

July 24, 2020 6:27 amJuly 24, 2020 6:29 am

One of the directives in drafting legislation is the “Plain English” rule. The purpose of this rule is for the bill drafter to use straightforward language that can be easily understood and interpreted as the Legislature intended. In that regard,...

California’s Commission on State Mandates

July 22, 2020 6:21 amJuly 22, 2020 6:30 am

In California state government is the Commission on State Mandates. It is established in Title 2, Division 4, Part 7 on State-Mandated Local Costs. Chapter 1 contains the following statement of legislative intent in Section 17500: The Legislature finds and...

Governor’s Office of Planning and Research

July 17, 2020 8:15 amJuly 17, 2020 8:06 am

An important entity within the Governor’s Office is the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), which plays multiple roles in California state government. It is established in the California Government Code, Chapter 1.5, which sets forth Sections 65025 through 65059.3....

Redistricting in California

July 13, 2020 6:55 amJuly 13, 2020 6:58 am

Every ten years, or once-a-decade, the geographic boundaries of legislative districts are redrawn based upon the results of the United States Census. Redistricting affects the districts for candidates to the State Senate, State Assembly, Board of Equalization, and U.S. House...

Is This the End of the World for California’s Budget?

May 8, 2020 8:05 amMay 8, 2020 8:32 am

California Governor Gavin Newsom just announced a $54 billion budget gap. That’s a two-year number comparable to the $60 billion gap that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger “solved” in 2009-2010. It represents about 26 percent of the total revenue projected for 2020-2021 in the budget released...

Considerations in Drafting California Legislation – Part I

April 27, 2020 6:22 amApril 27, 2020 6:28 am

There are numerous considerations in drafting legislation at the state or federal levels of government. There are several items that are useful to understand before undertaking the drafting of bills and amendments in the State of California. Before looking at...

Legislative Operations During Emergencies

March 29, 2020 2:00 pmMarch 30, 2020 1:32 pm

If the Legislature decides to proceed with remote hearings and voting, how will members of the public participate? As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, numerous state legislatures around the country have acted upon or are considering measures to...