Asm. Kevin D Jeffries

This measure would recognize April 28, 2011, as Workers Memorial Day.

This measure would recognize April 24, 2011, to April 30, 2011, inclusive, as Black April Memorial Week, and April 2011 as Vietnamese American month.

This measure would designate March 2011 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

The California Constitution requires the Governor to submit to the Legislature, within the first 10 days of each calendar year, a budget for the ensuing fiscal year containing itemized statements for recommended expenditures and estimated revenues. If the recommended expenditures exceed the estimated revenues, then the Governor is required to recommend the sources from which additional revenues should be provided. This measure would, instead, require, if the recommended expenditures exceed the estimated revenues in the Governor's budget, that the Governor make specific revenue proposals or proposals for specific spending reductions, or both, to balance expenditures with estimated revenues in the ensuing fiscal year. This measure would also require the Governor, commencing in 2013, to submit to the Legislature, concurrent with the submission of the annual budget for the ensuing fiscal year, a statement of intent regarding the budget for the following fiscal year that projects the estimated expenditures and revenues for that fiscal year. If the estimated expenditures exceed the estimated revenues in the above-described statement of intent regarding the following fiscal year, this measure would require the Governor to make specific revenue proposals or proposals for specific spending reductions, or both, to balance expenditures with the estimated revenues for that fiscal year.

Existing provisions of the California Constitution require meetings of each house and committee of the Legislature to be open to the public, except that closed meetings may be held to consider specified matters, including employment and personnel, security, advice from counsel, and caucus meetings. Existing provisions of the California Constitution provide that no bill may be passed unless it is read by title on 3 days in each house except that the house may dispense with this requirement by rollcall vote entered in the journal, 2 /3 of the membership concurring. Existing provisions of the California Constitution prohibit a bill from being passed until the bill with amendments has been printed and distributed to the members. This measure would further require a house or committee of the Legislature, at least 72 hours before a regularly scheduled meeting, to post an agenda containing a brief general description of each item to be considered, including items to be considered in closed session. The measure would generally prohibit consideration of any matter not included in the agenda. The measure would require public disclosure of a writing provided to members of a house or a committee in connection with the consideration of agenda items unless the writing is exempt from the mandatory disclosure requirements imposed by statute. The measure would require each agenda for a regular committee meeting to provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly address the committee on an item of interest to the public, before or during the committee's consideration of the item, that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the committee. The measure would provide for the calling of a special or emergency meeting of the house or a committee upon specified notice to its members and the media. The measure would prohibit the passage of a bill in either house of the Legislature until the bill with amendments has been printed and distributed to the members of the house at least 24 hours before the vote in that house on passage of the bill.

(1) The California Constitution requires the Legislature to convene in regular biennial session at noon on the first Monday in December of each even-numbered year to consider legislation and the Budget Bill. This measure would require the Legislature to convene in regular biennial session, but would require, commencing on December 3, 2012, that the sessions held in odd-numbered years be budget sessions, and sessions held in even-numbered years be general sessions. The measure would require the Legislature in the budget session to adopt Budget Bills for each of the 2 subsequent fiscal years. The measure would prohibit the Legislature, during a budget session, from considering legislation other than the Budget Bills and related revenue bills, except bills addressing a declared state of emergency or urgency statutes. Urgency statutes would require a 34 vote of the membership in each house for passage during a budget session. The measure would provide that at general sessions the Legislature may consider any legislation other than Budget Bills, except under specified conditions. (2) The California Constitution requires that a budget be submitted by the Governor, and that the Legislature pass a Budget Act on or before June 15. Funds may be expended from the State Treasury for support of the state government only through an appropriation made by the Legislature. This measure would require, in each odd-numbered calendar year, commencing in 2013, that the Governor submit to the Legislature 2 proposed budgets for the 2 subsequent fiscal years, respectively. The measure would provide, commencing with the 2013–14 fiscal year, that if the Budget Act is not enacted by July 1, unspecified amounts be appropriated from the General Fund and other funds and sources to the Controller for allocation by the Director of Finance to pay the current expenses for critical services of the state government, excluding salaries and per diem of Members of the Legislature, not exceeding the amounts expended to fund those services for the preceding fiscal year. (3) The California Constitution authorizes each house of the Legislature to provide for the selection of committees necessary for the conduct of its business, including committees to ascertain facts and make recommendations to the Legislature on a subject within the scope of legislative control. This measure would require, during a budget session, that each standing policy committee of each house of the Legislature function as a budget subcommittee to make recommendations, to the standing committee of each house of the Legislature that considers the budget, proposed amendments to the pending Budget Bill, relative to the adoption or modification of Budget Bill matters within the subject area of the standing policy committee. The measure would, after each Budget Bill has been passed, require each standing policy committee to meet for purposes of oversight and review of programs within the subject area of the committee.

The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to grant pardons or commutations after sentence has been entered, but prohibits the Governor from granting a pardon or commutation to a person twice convicted of a felony except on recommendation of the Supreme Court, 4 judges concurring. This measure would further prohibit the Governor from granting a pardon or commutation during the 30-day period immediately preceding the end of his or her term of office. The measure would provide that any pardon or commutation issued in violation of these provisions is void.

The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to grant pardons or commutations after sentence has been entered, but prohibits the Governor from granting a pardon or commutation to a person twice convicted of a felony except on recommendation of the Supreme Court, 4 judges concurring. This measure would require the Governor, at least 30 days prior to granting a pardon or commutation, to provide written notice of the pardon or commutation to the agency that prosecuted the case in which the person was convicted, and to each victim of the crime or crimes for which that person was convicted. The measure would provide that any pardon or commutation issued in violation of these provisions is void.

Existing law authorizes each house of the legislature to adopt rules for its proceedings. This bill would prohibit a house from meeting in a floor session other than between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. unless doing so is necessary to consider legislation relating to an emergency created by a natural disaster. The bill provides that any legislation passed by a house during a floor session occurring outside of those hours that is not necessary to consider legislation relating to an emergency created by a natural disaster would have no effect.

This measure would declare March 2011 to be Arts Education Month, would encourage all elected officials to participate with their educational communities in celebrating the arts, and would urge all residents to become interested in and give full support to quality school arts programs for children and youth.