Learning the Ropes: California Legislature 101
As the Bedrosian Center gets ready to welcome California State Assembly Speaker John Pérez for the next edition of our Leading From the West series, our focus turns to the political process at the state level. As the leader of the State Assembly, Pérez plays a crucial role in helping usher ideas into law.
In order to accomplish these tasks, each chamber is overseen by a political leader, usually elected by the dominant political party at the start of each session. Since 2010, Pérez has been the Speaker of the Assembly, a job that includes much more than just presiding over the floor of the assembly when the group is in session. Pérez also manages the Assembly’s operations, including determining the daily schedule for committees and allocating funds, staffing, and resources for committees. One of Pérez’s most influential responsibilities is the power to appoint members to the Assembly’s committee and subcommittees, which are mostly organized around policy areas such as health or education.
When a piece of legislation is first proposed, it is sent to a committee for consideration, either in the Assembly or the Senate, depending on the affiliation of the member who authors it. Once a piece of legislation has been heard in committee, a process that may include testimony from interested parties, it may be sent to an Appropriations Committee in the Senate or Assembly (depending on where it originated) to assess the bill’s fiscal impact on the state.
Following successfully passage in the Appropriations Committee, a bill will be reviewed and debated by either the Senate or Assembly, with suggestions for amendments if necessary. If the proposed piece of legislation is not defeated, it will be sent to the other chamber of the California Legislature for a similar round of committee approvals and review.
If the bill musters enough support to pass both the Senate and the Assembly, it will be sent to the governor for ratification. Along with the lieutenant governor, controller, treasurer, and attorney general, the governor represents the executive branch of state government. The governor may choose to either sign the bill into law or veto it. The California State Legislature has an opportunity to override a governor’s veto. Two-thirds approval of both the Assembly and the Senate in separate votes are required to bypass a veto.