State Assembly

What the Assembly Does

In the state of California, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the State Assembly and the State Senate.

The Assembly is the lower house of the two, which mostly just means there are more members in the Assembly than the Senate. There are 80 California Assemblymembers. There’s a Speaker, just like in Congress, who is elected by the Assembly to lead the body through their lawmaking activities. And they have Majority and Minority leaders as well.

To put it simply, the State Assembly and the State Senate oversee all our state laws and our state budget.

They have committees on anything you can name from healthcare to the arts to insurance to wildlife. They write and pass laws. The governor signs them or vetoes them…which he does quite a lot actually.

How the State Assembly and Senate Work Together

Both houses have a long list of committees and they have some “joint committees” like the one on Climate Change Policies. 

Bills can originate in either house. Bills go to their relevant committees and once passed, they go to the Assembly floor for a vote. If a bill passes the Assembly, it goes to the Senate for what’s called concurrence (meaning a second approval vote). Bills coming out of the Assembly start with AB.

Some of the key issues coming before the State Assembly and State Senate include:

• 🏡 Housing and homelessness – the state can fund housing and they can fund services. They can also pass zoning changes or housing equity measures.
• 💰 Jobs and the economy – California is the 5th largest economy in the world. The legislature oversees state minimum wage, small business development and our trading regulations with countries.
• ❤️ Childcare, elder care and supportive services – the state legislates issues from foster care to adult protective services.
• 🏞️ Public safety – the state legislature can redefine what crimes are in California. They can pass laws that help reduce crime. They can also reduce incarceration or help end murders by the police.

Assemblymembers serve 2 year terms. The Assembly is a favorite political resume builder as a lot of people aren’t exactly sure what they do up there in Sacramento. As a result, many of our city and county representatives have gone back and forth between local offices and the state legislature.