Citizen Legislature Project
Join Citizens for California Reform in our effort to bring accountability back to Sacramento by returning California to a Part Time Legislature.
Since statehood, California has experimented with how frequently and for what periods of time the Legislature should meet in session. Sessions have been one year or two years, limited and unlimited in duration, with and without mandatory intervening recesses, and limited to certain legislative matters during specific types of legislative sessions.
The biggest change came in 1966 when California voters enacted a sweeping revision of the State Constitution, including a provision providing for a full-time Legislature with no limitation on the duration of a legislative session.
Our full-time Legislature has failed the people of California. The result is a Legislature dominated by career politicians beholden to special interests. A part-time Legislature will replace professional politicians with citizen legislators and break the stranglehold of these special interests.
Full-time politicians are completely out of touch with the people they represent. By shortening the legislative season, we will take power away from Sacramento and return it to our local communities to ensure that legislators have a better sense of the needs of their communities. By returning to a part-time Citizen Legislature, representatives will meet in limited regular session then return to their respective districts to live, and work under the rules they make, among the people they represent bringing real life experiences to the Legislature.
Citizens for California Reform has filed proposed ballot initiative language with the state's Attorney General to create a part-time, citizen-legislature and reduces legislative session and legislators' pay by at least 50%.
The Citizen Legislature Act is a constitutional amendment initiative which outlines a legislative session, which will convene in regular session on the first Monday in January of each year for a period not to exceed 30 calendar days. The Legislature will then reconvene in regular session on the first Monday in May for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days and 5 days thereafter to consider bills vetoed by the Governor. The Act also reduces legislative pay by at least 50% and can only be increased through cost of living adjustments.
Learn More
Click Here to download the text of the submitted statewide ballot measure
Click Here to download instructions for signing and circulating the petition for signatures
Click Here to a Chart Summary Comparison of Legislatures across 50 States
Frequently Asked Questions
Click Here to read the FAQ's regarding a Part-time Citizen Legislature.