San Bernardino County An Overview of County Government County History Incorporated on April 26, 1853 How Big is Our County 20,106 Square Miles - Largest in Nation 2 Million + Residents Based on population, San Bernardino is the 5 th largest County in California 1. Los Angeles 10 Million 2. San Diego 3 Million 3. Orange 2.8 Million 4. Riverside 2 Million 5. San Bernardino 2 Million Understanding Our County We Are A Local Government Agency STATE STATE Levels of Government: Federal State County City LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL 1
Board of Supervisors Levels of Government: Local Brad Mitzelfelt 1 st District Josie Gonzales 5 th District Vice Chair Brad Mitzelfelt 1 st District Paul Biane 2 nd District Gary Ovitt 4 th District Chair Paul Biane 2 nd District Neil Derry 3 rd District Neil Derry 3 rd District Gary Ovitt 4 th District Josie Gonzales 5 th District County Governance & Operations Board of Supervisors Governing body Establishes policy Budgetary authority Departments include: County Administrative Officer, County Counsel, Clerk of fthe Board, Board dstaff, Legislative Affairs 19,000+ Employees County Governance & Operations Elected Department Heads Auditor-Controller/Recorder /Treasurer /Tax Collector Assessor District Attorney Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator Public Service Departments Aging & Adult Services Agriculture/Weights & Measures Airports Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Assessor Auditor/Controller-Recorder, County Clerk/Treasurer-Tax Collector Behavioral Health Child Support Services Children and Family Services Clerk of the Board Community Development & Housing County Fire District Attorney Human Resources Information Services Land Use Services Library Museum & Historic Sites Preschool Services (Head Start) Public Defender Public Health Public Works Probation/Juvenile Hall Redevelopment Agency Regional Parks Registrar of Voters Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator Special Districts Transitional Assistance Veterans Affairs Workforce Development 2
Internal Service Departments Architecture & Engineering Design and construction of county facilities County Administrative Office Financial and administrative support Budget County Counsel Facilities Management Fleet Management Human Resources* Information Services* Legislative Affairs Performance, Education & Resource Centers Public Information Officer Purchasing Real Estate Services Risk Management Legal advise and representation Maintenance of county buildings and grounds Vehicle acquisition and maintenance Employee relations, benefits, EEO Computer and communication networks Legislative platforms and lobbying efforts Training and organizational development services Media and public relations services Coordination of acquisition of goods and services Assists with the acquisition of property Liability and loss prevention services $4 Billion Budget 2009-10 Final Budget General Fund Spending g g y p g y Fiscal Year 2009-10 Required matches/fixed obligations 5% Public and Support Services Group 10.2% Health Care Group 26.6% Some Discretion 21% No Discretion 74% aw and Justice Group 29.6% Administrative Executive Group 4.1% Economic Development Agency 1.0% Human Services 25.3% Fiscal Group 3.2% Priorities Public Safety Renewable Energy Economic Development Job Creation Youth Programs Housing FORECLOSURES Inland Empire is the epicenter IEERC Taking our Neighborhoods Back, One Home at a Time Currently renovating 25+ homes 5 in the High Desert 5 in the High Desert 100 planned for FY2010/2011 Foreclosure Prevention Seminars Quarterly Held Throughout the IE» WWW.IEERC.ORG 3
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The Legislative Process McKenzie Tarango Field Representative Senator George Runner Outline Government Review Legislative Process How a Bill Becomes a law Budget Process WHAT DOES GOVERNMENT DO FOR YOU? Pave streets * regulate traffic * punish criminals * respond to fires * respond to human and natural disasters * protect civil rights * provide care for elderly and poor * protect consumers * protect property owners * provide education * guard the public s health * protect the environment * protect citizens against threats here and abroad Government: Is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies Every government has and exercises three basic kinds of power: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Public Policy: All of those things a government decides to do Taxation * defense * education * crime * healthcare * transportation * environment * civil rights * working conditions * and the list goes on
In every system of government the power to govern is located in one or more places, geographically Unitary Government Federal Government Confederate Government Federalism Federalism is a system of government in which a written constitution divides the powers of government on a territorial basis between a central, or national, government and several regional governments, usually called states or provinces Powers Reserved to the States The 10th Amendment declares that the States are governments of reserved powers. The reserved powers are those powers that the Constitution does not grant to the National Government and does not, at the same time, deny to the States. Powers Denied to the States Just as the Constitution denies many powers to the National Government, it also denies many powers to the States. Powers denied to the States are denied in much the same way that powers are denied to the National Government; both expressly and inherently Powers Denied Treaty, Alliance, Confederation Coin Money Tax National Government State Constitution The federal system determines the way that powers are divided and shared between the National and State governments. The Supremacy Clause in the Constitution establishes the Constitution and United States laws as the supreme Law of the Land.
The Constitution requires the National Government to Guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government California s Legislative Branch Government Public Policy 3 Branches Federalism Powers Republic QUICK REVIEW QUIZ Identify the three branches of government. What word do we use to identify how the U.S. geographically distributes power? Identify one for each of the following powers: Delegated * Concurrent * Reserved California s Legislative Branch The basic function of the legislature is to translate the public will into public policy. Most State legislatures are bicameral, with a Senate and House of Representatives. An ideal size is one in which there are not too many people to make business difficult to conduct, but not so few that many interests go unrepresented. Legislators are elected from districts drawn by the legislature every 10 years on the basis of population equality.
Legislators Senator George Runner Assemblyman Steve Knight Legislative Powers Legislatures can pass any law that does not conflict with federal law or with the State constitution. Legislatures have the powers to tax, spend, borrow, establish courts, define crimes and punishments, ih regulate commerce, and maintain i public schools, among other powers. Organization of State Legislatures The officer presiding over lower house sessions is the speaker, chosen by the senate members. The senate s presiding officer is either the lieutenant governor or a member chosen by the senate. The presiding officer refers bills to committee and appoints committee members, recognizes members to speak on the floor, and interprets and applies procedural rules. Committees are set up by subject matter. Committee members determine which bills reach the floor. They amend and rewrite bills introduced by members of the legislature. QUIZ How many Senators are in the California Legislature? How many Assemblyman are in the California State Legislature? What is the length of a Senators term? What is the length of an Assemblyman s term How many terms can a Senator serve? How many terms can an Assemblyman serve? 2
80 Assembly Members 423,500 Constituents 40 Senators 847,000 Constituents Your ideas can become law. This presentation will tell you how. 3 4 Visit, write, or call our District Office Visit, write, or call our Capitol Office www.sen.ca.gov 5 6 Senators can introduce -- bills per legislative session. Senators get bill ideas from their own experience and research, from organizations, constituents, and staff. We always welcome your ideas. 7 8
Senators weigh: Benefits and consequences Support and opposition Effect on the district If it has been introduced before, why did it fail and have circumstances changed? 9 10 All ideas must go to the Legislature s lawyers for drafting in late January and introduction by mid-february. Bill is introduced and gets an official number (e.g. SB 626) 11 12 13 Sent to Senate Rules Committee 14 Assigned to policy committee for hearing
All new bills are printed and made available to the public. A bill must appear in the Daily File for at least four days before a policy committee can consider it. 15 16 SENATE BILL No. 1693 17 18 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 15, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 5, 2001 SENATE BILL No. 1693 SENATE BILL No. 1693 Introduced by Senators Smith and Doe (Coauthors: Senators Jones and Black) (Coauthors: Assemblymembers Wright and Thomas) July 6, 2000 Introduced by Senators Smith and Doe (Coauthors: Senators Jones and Black) (Coauthors: Assemblymembers Wright and Thomas) July 6, 2000 19 20
21 An act to add Part 9 (commencing with Section 53150 to Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to financing a housing program by providing the funds necessary therefor through the issuance and sale of bonds of the State of California and by providing for the handling and disposition of those funds, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. Legislative Counsel s Digest SB 1693, as amended, Smith. Housing and Homeless Bond Act of 2001. Under existing law, there are various programs providing state assistance for housing. This bill would enact the Housing and Homeless Bond Act of 2001 which, if adopted, would authorize for purposes of financing a housing program, as defined in SB 1692 of the 2000-2001 Regular Session, the issuance, pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law, of bonds in the amount of $850,000,000. Vote: 2/3. Appropriations: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. 22 defined in SB 1692 of the 2000-2001 Regular Session, the issuance, pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law, of bonds in the amount of $850,000,000. Vote: 2/3. Appropriations: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Part 9 (commencing with Section 53150 is added to Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, to read: PART 9. HOUSING AND HOMELESS BOND ACT OF 2001 CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS Before the hearing, the policy committee issues a public analysis of the bill, noting: Testimony on the bill s merits comes from the author, proponents and opponents. Bill s impact History of the issue Support and opposition 23 24 Authors may take amendments in committee to improve the bill s chance of passage. Committee members weigh many factors before voting. 25 26
27 Including phone calls, emails and letters from constituents. 28 Bills requiring new state spending are also heard by Senate Appropriations Committee, which considers public testimony on the measure s fiscal effects. The bill can be approved, held for further consideration or defeated. 29 30 Bills that have been successful to this point are then debated by the full Senate. The bill is read to all the Senators 31 32
Majority or 2/3 rds If approved by the Senate, the bill passes to the Assembly. 33 34 Bills OK ed by the Senate face a similar process in the Assembly. If the Assembly approves the bill in the exact form it left the Senate, it moves to the Governor. 35 36 Any changes (amendments) require concurrence. 37 38 The Governor can sign or veto legislation.
An urgency bill takes effect upon the Governor s signature. If the Governor vetoes the bill, the Legislature has 60 days to override the veto - which requires a two-thirds vote of both houses. 39 40 Who can explain how a bill becomes a law? California s Budget Timeline Budget Process January 10 th Both houses State spending locked into place Prop 98 K-14 * July 1 June 30 * $100 billion LAO review July 9 th - September 15 th Department directors and agency heads initiate detailed reviews and develop budget proposals for their programs budget proposals for their programs. These requests for program changes are then sent to the Department of Finance for review.
October January 10 th The Governor evaluates the requests as reviewed by the Department of Finance and sends his or her proposed budget to the Legislature. On or before January 10, the Governor delivers a state-of-thestate speech and proposes his/her budget January - February The budget committee chairs in each house introduce the governor s budget proposal in bill form on January 10. The Legislative Analyst prepares an extensive review of the budget bill. March-May March - May Each house refers its budget bill to their respective budget committees. The bills are then broken down by subject and assigned to the appropriate subcommittees by subject areas. After completion of the hearings, each subcommittee votes and then sends its report to the full budget committee. May Revise Late May June 15 th The budget committee of each house considers the subcommittees reports and sends a revised budget bill to the floor for evaluation by the full body. Each house discusses and then votes on its version of the budget bill. The differences between the Assembly and Senate versions of the budget bill are worked out in a conference committee made up of three members from each house. Big Five Continued.. Upon completion of its review, the conference committee submits a single version of the budget bill to both houses. The Senate and Assembly each vote on this final version bf before it is sent to the Governor. The houses also vote on trailer bills if statutory changes are necessary to implement provisions of the budget bill. June 15 th July 1 st The bill becomes law as soon as it is signed by the Governor due to its status t as an urgency measure.
Timing is Critical Questions????????? Call district office Write a letter Meet with Legislator Send Email No Testifying