Rule changes made in 2019 giving the chair of California Assembly committees power to vet bills and prevent them from being heard by the legislature is a danger to the legislative process, according to state lawmakers.
“It’s anti-democratic,” Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) told The Epoch Times. “If not all the bills are really getting fair consideration, and there’s not really the opportunity for all the members of the committee to utilize their own judgment and deliberation to decide on a bill, that’s an anti-democratic block.”
At issue are several bills blocked by committees earlier this year, including those related to enhancing penalties for convictions associated with rape, human trafficking, domestic violence, and fentanyl distribution. Assembly Chair Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) used his authority to put fentanyl legislation on hold without a hearing before an abrupt about-face in April….