There were 12 special elections for California legislative seats in 2013 – some caused by resignations, others by lawmakers moving to higher office. Los Angeles County alone spent 12 million dollars on those elections. So Democratic Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg is calling for a constitutional amendment that would replace those elections with gubernatorial appointments – just as when a U.S. senate seat goes vacant.
“Here’s the reality, since the beginning of session this last year, when you look at the Assembly and Senate together, we have not had one day yet where we’ve had a full complement of members.”
~Darell Steinberg
Republicans say Democrats want to change the rules because they haven’t fared well in some of the special elections, which often have low voter turnout.
A separate proposal would consolidate municipal elections with statewide elections. Many cities, including Los Angeles, hold their elections in odd-numbered years. Not even a quarter of registered LA voters cast ballots last June.
May 30, 2018Fair Political Practices Commission chairperson Jodi Remke announced Tuesday that she will step down on Friday. It follows months of acrimony with other commissioners.
February 22, 2018His resignation followed an outside investigation, which found that Mendoza likely engaged in "flirtatious or sexually suggestive" behavior with six different women, including former staffers and fellows. The allegations date back to 2007.
February 20, 2018A summary of the Senate’s outside investigation comes after the chamber’s Rules Committee met in closed session to discuss Mendoza’s fate for the second weekday in a row.
January 18, 2018New legislative efforts supporting the “Me Too” anti-harassment movement could change the reporting process for victims filing complaints.
October 26, 2017Women in California politics, protesting sexual harassment and abuse at the Capitol, distrust the response from legislative leaders.
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