Thursday, October 22nd, State Capitol

Official Hearing Agenda (PDF 65k)

Context for Reform

• What about the state government needs fixing?
• What are examples of past reform efforts and how did they fare?
• Are those areas of reform still relevant today?
• What areas of reform has the Legislature started to address (e.g., legislative reform, budget reform, initiative reform, state-local government realignment)?
• What reforms are others recommending?
• How will the Assembly and Senate Select Committees on Improving State Governments address reform?

Legislative Branch Reforms

• How can the Legislature function better?  What’s not working?
• How can the legislative branch become more stable?
• How can the Legislature’s oversight and investigative functions be improved?
• How can the Legislature better focus on and prioritize California’s most pressing issues for action?
• How can the transparency and integrity of the legislative process be enhanced?
• How can changes to the legislative calendar improve efficiency, provide opportunities for greater oversight, and bring legislators closer to their constituents?

Budget Process Reforms – Part 1

• How can the budget process improve oversight and accountability of state agencies and more frequently result in the adoption of a balanced budget on time?
• What other goals should be sought in any effort to reform the current budget process?
• Should the Legislature incorporate longer-term planning into budget decision-making?  How could this best be achieved and what are the expected outcomes?
• Should the Legislature consider multi-year budgeting and its impact on regular legislative business (e.g., the number of bills introduced and in which year of a two-year Session)?  What are the anticipated benefits and drawbacks from such a move?
• What measures proposing budget reform are now pending in the Legislature?