Chris Micheli

Comparing the Number of Lobbyists to Legislators  By Chris Micheli             Having wondered about this topic as a legislative geek, I did some quick research about the number of lobbyists compared to legislators in a number of jurisdictions. First, I looked at those at the federal and international levels. Then I turned to other states that had readily accessible information. And then I compared them to California.             The following are the results: European Union 720 legislators 12,425 registered lobbyists in 2022 Roughly 17:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator US Congress 535 legislators 13,037 registered lobbyists in 2024 Roughly 24:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator New York 213 legislators 6,113 registered lobbyists in 2024 Roughly 29:1 ratio of lobbyist to legislator Massachusetts 200 legislators 1,500 registered lobbyists in 2...

Thoughts on the Lawsuit Against Prop. 50  By Chris Micheli As I have been asked about my thoughts regarding the legislative process challenges to the redistricting legislative package, I prepared this brief article in response. Being the legislative geek that I am, as well as teaching the course “Lawmaking in California” for the past decade at my law school alma mater, this is a fascinating case study. As many are aware, on Monday, August 25, a lawsuit was filed in the California Supreme Court by several legislators and voters. There are the four central arguments presented in this writ petition (along with my short response): (1)    One ballot measure cannot lawfully pose a question on two separate subjects. I believe there is only one amendment proposed to the Constitution by ACA 8. The first statement is one of the People’s intent or wishes. (2)    The state Constitution currently vests exclusive authority to engage in the redistricting process in the...

  How to Conduct an Effective Lobby Day  By Chris Micheli, Megan Garrison, and Tisha Simpson With more and more lobby days taking place in the California State Capitol (and its Swing Space), we have compiled a series of suggestions for conducting successful lobby days:   Prior to the Meeting ·        Prior to the meeting, you need to schedule the appointment and prepare for your meeting. This will need to occur a few weeks in advance. Also, you need to determine whether the meeting will occur at the Capitol office or the district office. ·        When contacting an elected official’s office, ask to speak with the scheduler. And be prepared to offer several dates and times that you can meet. Provide a list of individuals who will be attending the meeting and do not be surprised if the scheduler asks you to fax or email a formal meeting request. ·        For legislative mee...

Legislative Committees and Their Meeting Schedules  By Chris Micheli SENATE 23 Standing Committees 1 Committee on Legislative Ethics 12 Select Committees 6 Subcommittees of Standing Committees 1 Special Committee 4 committees meet on Mondays 9 committees meet on Tuesdays 9 committees meet on Wednesdays 1 committees and 5 subcommittees meet on Thursdays   ASSEMBLY 32 Standing Committees 33 Select Committees 7 Subcommittees of Standing Committees 1 Special Committee 6 committees and 2 subcommittees meet on Mondays 13 committees and 2 subcommittees meet on Tuesdays 13 committees and 5 subcommittees meet on Wednesdays   There are 8 Joint Committees of the Assembly and Senate

Additions and Amendments to California’s Constitution  By Chris Micheli To preface this brief article, I readily admit to being a legislative geek as I read and researched our state’s constitution. The current (and second) California Constitution was adopted in 1879. The first one was adopted in 1849, the year before California became a state. Several of its original sections remain unchanged since their adoption 146 years ago. Of course, while the Legislature or the people can place constitutional amendments on the statewide ballot, they are adopted by a majority vote of the electors. By my calculation, there have been just over 355 changes to the state Constitution since its original adoption in 1879. By my count, the current state Constitution contains 32 Articles and 371 sections. Note that 11 of those Articles have been added in their entirety and not changed since their adoption. Contained in those 32 Articles are 243 added sections and 113 amended sections since 1879...

Another Legislative Statement in Bills  By Chris Micheli I was reading a bill over the Recess and came across what I believed was a new legislative statement: “It is the preference of the Legislature for the County of San Mateo to opt into the district.” We are all familiar with statements of legislative intent, as well as legislative findings and declarations. But I had not seen a legislative “preference” before. By the way, this preference statement in the bill follows a statement of legislative intent. That made it even more intriguing to me and why it was being used. Thereafter, in a search of the Codes, I found one existing statute using this “preference” phrase. It reads, in part, “it is the preference of the Legislature that priority be given to viral cultures, clinical trials, and the administrative and laboratory support services necessary to conduct the trials.” So, there is at least one existing code section using the “preference” statement. Perhaps there will be...