California State Legislature

The California State Legislature is the governing body that helps make laws for the state of California. It has two parts, called houses: the California State Assembly with 80 members and the California State Senate with 40 members. These two groups meet together in a special building called the California State Capitol in the city of Sacramento.

Unlike many other states, California’s Legislature works all year, making it one of ten states with a full-time legislature. Each house has its own color, with the Senate using red like the United Kingdom’s House of Lords and the Assembly using green like the House of Commons.

Today, most members of the Legislature belong to the Democratic Party, with more Democrats than Republicans in both the Assembly and the Senate. This has been true for many years, helping the Democratic Party pass laws more easily.

History

Mexican era legislature

Main article: Diputación de Alta California

In 1822, Alta California created its first group to make laws. This group was called the Diputación de Alta California. It had seven members, and each one represented a different area — either a military place or a town.

1849 Constitution

California State Assembly chamber

California State Senate chamber

The rules for California’s laws were written in the 1849 California Constitution. It said that the state would have two groups to make laws: an Assembly and a Senate. These two groups together were called the Legislature of the State of California. They had to meet once a year, starting on the first Monday in January after an election. Assembly members would serve for one year, and Senate members would serve for two years. The rules also said how many members each group could have and how they would be chosen from different parts of the state.

1879 Constitution

The 1879 California Constitution kept the idea of two groups for making laws but made some changes. It said the Senate would have 40 members and the Assembly would have 80 members. It also changed how long each member would serve: Senate members would serve for four years, and Assembly members would serve for two years.

Legislative session schedule

When new legislators are elected, they meet to organize on the first Monday in December after the election. This happens separately in the Assembly and Senate rooms at noon.

After this meeting, the legislature takes a break until the first Monday in January. If that Monday is January 1 or if it falls on a Sunday, they meet the next Wednesday instead. Besides this break, the legislature meets throughout the year.

State House

California became a state on September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850. Before settling in Sacramento in 1854, the state capital was in San Jose, Vallejo, and Benicia. The first State House was a hotel in San Jose owned by a businessman named Pierre "Don Pedro" Sainsevain. Today, the State Legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

Terms and term limits

Members of the California State Assembly are elected from 80 districts and serve two-year terms. All 80 seats are up for election every two years. Members of the Senate are elected from 40 districts and serve four-year terms. Every two years, half of the Senate seats are up for election. This happens during presidential elections for some districts and during midterm elections for others.

Term limits for legislators were first set in 1990. In 2012, voters changed the rules with Proposition 28. Now, legislators can serve up to 12 years, whether in the Assembly or the Senate. Those elected before June 5, 2012, still follow the older rules from 1990.

Record keeping

The California State Legislature keeps records of its meetings in journals that show how members voted and who suggested or removed ideas. Before the 1990s, there were no full records of speeches made during meetings. Now, the legislature broadcasts its sessions on television.

Since 1993, the legislature has had a website with information about laws, bills, and votes. Before that, reports were only made for very important bills. To understand the reasons behind older laws, people need to visit the state archives in Sacramento to look through old files.

Legislative committees

Some of the most important committees in the legislature deal with governance and finance, business and professions, and health. Being part of these committees can help lawmakers get support from important groups.

The legislature can also avoid voting on laws by not considering them. This is called a "pocket veto." If a committee does not let a bill move forward, sometimes other members can try to bring it to a vote. Rules about this differ between the two houses of the legislature.

Overview of legislative procedure

A bill is an idea for changing a rule in California. There are two types: Assembly Bills (AB), which start in the lower house, and Senate Bills (SB), which start in the upper house. Each bill gets a number, like AB 16, which means it was the 16th bill introduced in the Assembly.

Here’s how a bill becomes a law: First, a senator or assemblymember sends their idea to a special office that writes it into a bill. Then, the bill is read for the first time in the house where it started. After that, it goes to a committee to discuss and vote on it. If it passes, it moves to another committee or to the full house for a vote. If the second house changes it, both houses work together to agree on the final version. Finally, the governor can sign it to make it a law, or not. If the governor refuses, the legislature can vote again to override that decision. Once it’s a law, it usually starts working the next year, unless it’s urgent.

Compensation

Starting from December 4, 2023, members of the California State Legislature earn an annual salary of $128,215. Some leaders, like the Assembly speaker and Senate president, earn even more, around $147,446. As of 2023, California legislators are paid among the highest salaries in the country. Additionally, Senators get a daily payment of $211, while Assembly members receive $214 each day for their work.

Reform proposals

Expansion proposals

In 2015, a man named John Cox suggested changing how representatives are chosen in California. He wanted to split areas into smaller groups, with about 5,000 people in each group for the lower house and 10,000 for the upper house. These smaller groups would then choose representatives. However, this idea did not get enough support to be voted on in the 2016 elections. Right now, each representative in the lower house speaks for about 500,000 people, and each in the upper house speaks for about 1,000,000 people. This is more people per representative than in many other places.

John Cox 2016 November elections

Sessions

Main article: List of California state legislatures

The California State Legislature has two parts, called houses. The lower house is called the State Assembly and has 80 members. The upper house is called the State Senate and has 40 members. They all meet in the same building, called the California State Capitol, in a city named Sacramento. California is one of ten states where lawmakers work full-time.