How Things Work In **California** - Bills, Laws, Legislators

[Librarian]

Probably ought to be 'How things are SUPPOSED to work' …

This sticky consolidates several other stickies, so we can cut down the number in the 2A forum.

HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW - In California, how does a bill become law?

Shortest possible summary: Bills are submitted, reviewed by committees, voted on by whole house, move to the other house, repeat committees and full house, go to the Governor - that's usually in September.

HOW TO READ THE BILLS - Beginner's Guide to Reading California Bills and Bill Pages

Please use the NEW web site - http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/fa...chClient.xhtml

INDEX TO FIND THE CALGUNS THREADS ON THE CURRENT CROP OF BILLS

2017 California Bill INDEX THREAD - look here to find the Calguns threads about bills

Don't have one of these for 2021

HOW TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS ABOUT A BILL

Lots of ways in 2013

The Official Contact pages -
--- Senate -- senate.ca.gov/senators
--- Assembly -- assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers

And, the GOVERNOR https://govnews.gov.ca.gov/gov39mail/mail.php

The bill pages themselves have a tab in the top right corner.

What Do I Say?

Simple is critical. All they are doing is counting incoming contacts, they really don't seem to read anything.

So, say

Dear Legislator,

Please vote against Assembly Bill 1234.

Sincerely,

That's it. That's plenty.

HOW DO I FIND OUT HOW A CALIFORNIA LEGISLATOR VOTED?

Sacramento BEE used to have a page but they dropped it. Chamber of Commerce and AFL-CIO have special-interest pages, but nothing specializing in gun bills.

A couple other attempts have been made, but seem to have died around 2010. It isn't hard, just tedious. And legislators get to change their votes after the actual vote event, so it can be bit tricky.

WHAT DOES NOT WORK IN CALIFORNIA

INITIATIVES - http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=156804

An 'initiative' gets OUR bill on the ballot, for the voters to pass or reject.

A 'referendum' gets a law passed by the Legislature on the ballot, for the voters to pass or reject.

Summary: much as we would like it to be different, we don't have the votes.