(1) The California Constitution establishes a full-time Legislature. The Constitution authorizes the California Citizens Compensation Commission to determine the annual salary and the medical, dental, insurance, and other similar benefits of state officers, including Members of the Legislature. This measure would instead provide for a part-time Legislature and set the annual salary for Members of the Legislature at $24,000, to be adjusted thereafter by the commission consistent with the Consumer Price Index. (2) The California Constitution requires the Legislature to convene on the first Monday of December of each even-numbered year and adjourn on November 30 of the following even-numbered year. This measure would set specific time periods in which the Legislature must complete its work. The bill would require the Legislature to organize and swear in its Members on the first Monday of December of each even-numbered year and reconvene not later than January 7 for a duration of not more than 120 consecutive calendar days in odd-numbered years, and not more than 60 consecutive calendar days in even-numbered years. The measure would require that any legislation introduced in an odd-numbered year be passed within the 120-day period and any legislation introduced in an even-numbered year be passed within the 60-day period. The measure would allow the Legislature to convene for an additional 7 consecutive calendar days for the sole purpose of considering bills vetoed by the Governor, and items of appropriation reduced or eliminated by the Governor. The measure would make other conforming changes. (3) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor, by proclamation, to cause the Legislature to assemble in special session and prohibits the Legislature from legislating on subjects not specified in the proclamation when so assembled. This measure would limit a special session to 30 days in duration and make other related changes. (4) The California Constitution authorizes the Governor, following the enactment of the Budget Bill, to issue a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency if the Governor determines that General Fund revenues will decline substantially below, or that General Fund expenditures will increase substantially above, the estimate of General Fund revenues upon which the Budget Bill, as enacted, was based. The California Constitution provides that if the Legislature fails to pass and send to the Governor a bill or bills to address the fiscal emergency by the 45th day following the issuance of the proclamation, the Legislature may not act on any other bill until that bill or those bills addressing the fiscal emergency have been passed and sent to the Governor. This measure would specify that the prohibited actions include acting upon or taking any action on any other bill, including casting a vote on any other bill in either a policy or fiscal committee, or on the floor of the Assembly or Senate. (5) The California Constitution requires the Governor to submit to the Legislature a budget for the ensuing fiscal year within the first 10 days of each calendar year and requires the Legislature to pass the Budget Bill by midnight on June 15 of each year. This measure would instead require the Governor to submit a biennial budget within the first 7 days of each odd-numbered year and require the Legislature to pass the Budget Bill within 120 days, as specified, and would make conforming changes to other provisions of the California Constitution relating to the biennial budget. This measure would authorize the Governor to propose changes to an enacted biennial state budget when the Legislature is not in session, which changes would become law upon approval by resolution adopted by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. (6) The California Constitution requires that travel and living expenses for Members of the Legislature in connection with their official duties be prescribed by statute passed by rollcall vote, 23 of the membership of each house concurring. This measure would limit these expenses in amount to the per diem rates established by the United States General Services Administration for federal employees. (7) The California Constitution provides that the aggregate expenditures for the compensation of Members and employees of, and the operating expenses and equipment for, the Legislature may not exceed a specified amount. This measure would additionally require that the annual budget amounts for a Member of either house be equal to that of other Members of the same house. (8) The California Constitution provides that no bill may be passed until the bill with amendments has been printed and distributed to the Members. This measure would instead require that each bill with amendments be distributed to the Members at least 72 hours prior to passage. (9) The California Constitution provides that the Legislature or either house may by resolution provide for the selection of committees necessary for the conduct of its business. This measure would require that every political party represented in a house of the Legislature be, to the greatest extent possible, proportionately represented in each legislative committee of that house. The measure would additionally specify membership requirements for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
Sponsored bills
This measure would commemorate the 40th anniversary of Title IX on June 23, 2012, commend the movement toward increased equality and fair treatment of female athletes, and praise the goal of greater opportunities in sports for girls and young women in California.
This measure would proclaim June 2012 as Scleroderma Awareness Month.
Existing law provides that once an employee organization is recognized as the exclusive representative of an appropriate unit, it may enter into an agreement with the state employer providing for organizational security in the form of maintenance of membership or fair share fee deduction. Existing law requires the state to deduct the amount specified by the recognized employee organization from the salary or wages of every employee for the membership fee or the fair share fee and to remit these fees monthly to the recognized employee organization. This bill would authorize any employee subject to a fair share fee to instead instruct the state to deduct and pay sums equal to the fair share fee to a retirement savings plan of the employee's choosing, except as specified.
Existing law, the California High-Speed Rail Act, creates the High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law, pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, approved by the voters as Proposition 1A at the November 4, 2008, general election, provides for the issuance of $9 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail purposes and $950 million for other related rail purposes. Article XVI of the California Constitution authorizes the Legislature, at any time after the approval of a general obligation bond act by the people, to reduce the amount of the indebtedness authorized by the act to an amount not less than the amount contracted at the time of the reduction or to repeal the act if no debt has been contracted. This bill would reduce the amount of general obligation debt authorized for high-speed rail purposes pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century to the amount contracted as of January 1, 2013.
This measure would designate November 2012 as California Sikh American Awareness and Appreciation Month. It would recognize and acknowledge the significant contributions made by Californians of Sikh heritage to the state and afford all Californians the opportunity to understand, recognize, and appreciate the rich history and shared principles of Sikh Americans.
This measure would declare May 2012 to be American Stroke Month in California.
This measure would declare April 22 through April 28, 2012, as West Nile Virus and Mosquito and Vector Control Awareness Week.