California’s Supermajority Democrat lawmakers now work against governing the state, and work against the will of the people
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Monday, California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) demanded answers from the Assembly Rules Committee in the wake of several parliamentary violations that crushed debate and caused chaos at the end of the 2024 legislative session.
As the Globe reported on that final session:
Democrats limited debate on each bill to 30 seconds, which was no actual debate at all. And then, according to a Capitol staffer, the Assembly Speaker cut off their mics even before the 30-seconds was up if they opposed the bill about to be voted on.
The Capitol staffer told the Globe that Democrats were even violating their own rules, which they had illegally passed that night by making new rules on the spot.
They also cut off Assemblyman Essayli when he made a counter motion pointing out their errors.
“The California Assembly silenced me and the 500k Californians I represent tonight! They would not let me debate or speak. These people are the enemy of democracy!” Essayli Tweeted.
The Globe pointed out, “with 62 Democrats and 17 Republicans in the Assembly (one vacant seat), the dangerous imbalance of one-party rule has lead to Democrats making up the rules as they go, while kicking voters to the curb.”
“This is no laughing matter. This is not representation.”
Assembly Republican Leader Gallagher is appropriately outraged and exasperated with the gross violations the final night of the legislative session, and is demanding the Rules Committee investigate the myriad violations.
“In the final hours of the session, Democrats illegally amended the Assembly’s rules to limit debate on bills to just 30 seconds per person and refused to recognize multiple Republican lawmakers attempting to speak on behalf of their constituents,” Gallagher said.
He wrote a letter to the Chairwoman of Assembly Committee on Rules Vice Blanca Pacheco, and Vice Chairman Devon Mathis. Here is Gallagher’s letter with the receipts:
Dear Chair Pacheco and Vice Chair Mathis:
I write to you today to file a formal complaint over the actions that took place on the Assembly Floor on August 31, 2024, the last day of the 2023-24 legislative session. The last hours of session were more than chaotic. The actions taken by the majority were an assault on open debate. An assault on democracy.
What happened in the final hours of session was a suppression of meaningful debate. The majority rushed through legislation that will have significant impacts on Californians without giving Members the opportunity to fully discuss and debate these bills. This undermines the very essence of our democratic process and disenfranchises the people who elected us to represent them. When the majority resorts to such tactics, it not only erodes trust in the legislative process but also silences the voices of those who seek to bring transparency and accountability to our government.
Specifically, I point to the following actions taken on Saturday, August 31, 2024:
Illegally amending the Assembly Rules. With approximately 30 minutes left before the midnight deadline to pass legislation the Majority Leader made a motion, passed by the body, to amend Assembly Rule (AR) 108 and limit each Member’s speaking time to 30 seconds per bill, drastically reducing how much time each Member had to debate important legislation.
However, AR 8 provides that “A standing rule of the Assembly may not be amended except by a resolution adopted by an affirmative recorded vote of a majority of the duly elected and qualified Members.” No resolution was adopted to amend AR 108.
Instead, the Speaker pro Tempore allowed the body to vote on an illegal motion made by the Majority Leader to amend AR 108.
In addition, the Majority Leader made the motion without returning to “Motions and Resolutions” and was therefore out of order. The Speaker pro Tempore should nothave allowed the motion to even be made without first returning to Motions and Resolutions.
What do you expect when you live in a one party system that does not believe in either Capitalism, or the rights of all parties to participate in the general election.
They laugh at the majority, and pass bills that destroy the budget ending in $46 Billion deficit.
Should anyone be surprised? It is so bad even the opposition within the Socialist Demo. Party have given up.
So the question becomes one …. should anyone be surprised the Late Great State is wallowing in debt, and an influx of illegals, welfare trolls, and nothing close to open democracy?
It calls to mind the woebegone effort to split the State into two States. I like the concept of West California and East California. The coastal counties versus the farm counties – but put Sacramento and the counties just to the east of it in with the coastal counties. Unfortunately, it would take a vote of the current legislature to agree to split the state, which they are never going to do. All of the producers in the State should move out, leaving California desperate for income to redistribute. And when Kamala imposes her wealth tax which provides for taxing unrealized gains — crashing the stock market — they will be trying to push for emergency taxes on everybody. Then maybe, just maybe, everybody will move out.