Why Voting is Important
You cannot win if you don`t play. The age at which you can get a driver`s license, the amount of money your teacher receives and the drinking age are some of the decisions made by elected officials. Who votes for these elected officials ? We the people do, if you want a change on your government but do not decide to vote why argue in the first place. If you never vote, your word will never be heard. What if everybody in California stopped voting , What would happen then? If people do not vote, our government would no longer be a Direct Democracy. America was born from the The Declaration of Independence and it should stay that way. We fought for our rights so we should keep them. This is why you should vote.
How a Bill Becomes a Law
It all starts with a citizen having an idea. That citizen must persuade a assembly member or senator to authorize the idea to a Bill. The author of the bill sends the bill to the Legislative Council. If the author is a senator then the bill is introduced in the Senate, if the author is am assembly member then the bill is introduced in the Assembly, the bill then gets a number and title. The bill is then sent to either the Senate or Assembly Committee depending on the author where the bill is assigned to a policy. For example if the bill is focusing on health care then the bill is placed under the Health and Human Services Committee. Once this is done the author tells them about the bill he/she is proposing, then the people either support or oppose the bill. The committee then can pass the bill or denies the bill. In order for the bill to pass it must have majority vote of that committee. The bills that are passed by the committees are then sent to the house of origin for a second reading. The Members of either the Senate Floor or Assembly then decide on the good and the bad of the bill. After the house of origin approves the bill it then makes its way to the other house where steps 1-5 are repeated. Once all changes are fixed, an agreement is reached and the bill is then passed over to both houses for voting. Once both houses approve the bill it then goes to the governor who has three choices on the bill, sign it and approve it, allow the bill to become a law without his/her signature, or Veto the bill. Once bills are passed they go in affect on the first of January the following year. Once a bill becomes a law it is then sent to the Secretary of State for the final review. The bill is given a chapter number and is stamped with the Great Seal of the State of California.
Amendments to the Constitution
The California Constitution can be amended in three different ways.
- 1: Through the process of a legislatively-referred Constitutional amendment, meaning that two-thirds of each member of the California State Legislature must propose an amendment which then goes on to a statewide ballot to be voted on and see whether it will either be accepted or rejected by the voters.
- 2: Through the process of an initiated Constitutional amendment, meaning that a initiative may be proposed, 8 percent of the people that voted for the Governor in the last election, and just like the first option goes on to a statewide ballot to be voted on and see whether it will either be accepted or rejected by the voters.
- 3: Through the process of an Constitutional amendment convention, meaning the just two-thirds of each member of the state legislature agree to call a convention or revise the constitution which then goes to on the state's nect general election ballot.
Initiative, Referendum, and Recall
- Initiative: In California , citizens are allowed to use the initiative process so that they can create laws. Also they can amend the state constitution.
- Referendum: Citizens have the ability to either accept or reject Statutes passed by the state legislature. The statutes are then placed on the statewide ballot so that the citizens can vote on it.
- Recall: Citizens have the ability to remove an elected official before their terms expires.