California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing a relatively equal amount of constituencies, with each district having a population of at least 420,000. Due to the state's large population and relatively small legislature, the Assembly has the largest population per representative ratio of any lower house legislature in the United States; only the federal U.S. House of Representatives has a larger ratio. Since a referendum in 1990, members of the Assembly are restricted by term limits, confining them to three two-year terms (six years).
The Assembly convenes at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
Leadership of the Assembly
The Speaker of the Assembly presides over the Assembly in the chief leadership position, controlling the flow of legislation and committee assignments. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus, followed by confirmation of the full Assembly on passage of a floor vote. Other Assembly leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses according to each party's strength in the chamber.The current Speaker is Karen Bass of the 47th district (D-Los Angeles). The Majority Leader is Alberto Torrico of the 20th district (D-Newark). The Minority Leader is Michael Villines of the 29th district (R-Fresno).
Assembly Chamber
The assembly meets in the chamber located at the opposite end of the State Senate chamber. It is modeled from the British House of Commons and is primarily decorated in green tones. The dais rests along a wall shaped like an "E" the central projection housing the rostrum. Along the cornice appears a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and a quotation from him in Latin: LEGISLATORUM EST JUSTAS LEGES CONDERE ("It is the duty of legislators to pass just laws"). Almost every decorating element is identical to the Senate Chamber.Assembly
| Affiliation | Members | |
| Democratic Party | 48 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | |
| Total | 80 | |
| Majority | 16 | |
Officers
- Speaker Karen Bass (D-47) from May 13 2008
- Fabian Núñez (D-46) to May 13 2008
- Speaker pro Tempore Sally J. Lieber (D-22)
- Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore Lori Saldaña (D-76) from May 16 2008
- Laura Richardson (D-55) to September 4 2007
- Majority Floor Leader Alberto Torrico (D-20) from May 13 2008
- Karen Bass (D-47) to May 13 2008
- Minority Floor Leader Michael Villines (R-29)
- Chief Clerk E. Dotson Wilson
- Sergeant at Arms Ronald Pane
Note: The Chief Clerk and the Sergeant at Arms are not Members of the Legislature
Full List of Members, 2007-2008
Felipe Fuentes won the May 15, 2007 special election for the 39th Assembly District seat to replace Richard Alarcón, who resigned on March 16, 2007 to take a seat on the Los Angeles City Council.**Warren T. Furutani won the February 5, 2008 special election for the 55th Assembly District seat to replace Laura Richardson, who resigned on September 4, 2007 to take a seat in the United States House of Representatives, replacing Juanita Millender-McDonald who died on on April 22, 2007.
2006 elections
The last Assembly elections occurred on November 7, 2006. The Democratic Party retained their majority, with no loss or gain of seats for any party.
| Party | Votes | Seats | Loss/Gain | Share of Vote (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 4,449,698 | 48 | 0 | 55.2 | |
| Republican | 3,448,781 | 32 | 0 | 42.8 | |
| Libertarian | 93,588 | 0 | 0 | 1.16 | |
| Green | 35,283 | 0 | 0 | .44 | |
| Peace and Freedom | 29,384 | 0 | 0 | .36 | |
| Total | 8,056,734 | 80 | 0 | 100.0% | |
Candidates Qualifications to be Voted on at the Primary Elections
To run for Member of the Assembly, the candidate must be a United States citizen and a registered voter in the district at the time nomination papers are issued and may not have served three terms in the State Assembly since November 6, 1990. According to Article IV, Section 2(c) of the California Constitution, the candidate must have one year of residency in the legislative district and California residency for three years, even though it is the legal opinion of the California Secretary of State's office that these provisions violate the United States Constitution.
State Assembly Members
See:- California State Legislature, 2007-2008 Session
- California State Legislature, 2005-2006 Session
- California State Legislature, 2003-2004 Session
- California State Legislature, 2001-2002 Session
- California State Legislature, 1999-2000 Session
- California State Legislature, 1997-1998 Session
Officers information
Sergeant-at-Arms is the division which protects the assemblymen of the California State Assembly. The chief sergeant at arms is the head of this division. This position has existed since December 15, 1849 when Samuel N. Houston became California's first Sergeant at Arms. Official website of the Sergeant at ArmsSee also
- Bill (proposed law)
- California State Assembly Districts
- California Assembly elections, 2006
- List of Speakers of the California State Assembly
- California State Legislature
- Members of the California State Legislature
- California State Senate
- California State Capitol
- California State Capitol Museum
- Districts in California
References
External links
- California State Assembly
- Current Candidates for the State Assembly
- California Legislative District Maps (1911-Present)
- Map of Assembly Districts
- California Election Calendar
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Thursday October 09, 2008 at 10:01:49 PDT (GMT -0700)
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