Local news is our core obsession here at California Local. But just as significant to our daily life is the state’s complex system of governance, which—like the United States itself—is divided into three branches. The legislative branch makes laws, the governor has the power to execute those laws, and the state’s multi-level judicial system interprets the laws and passes judgment on those who break them.
| View in Browser | Our Journalism Needs Your Support | Please Donate Today |
By Sharan Street
Published Nov 28, 2022
The California Constitution, as it looked in 1849.
Image credit: California State Archives
Public Domain
11-28-22: Living Document
Conquests and Constitutions
All of this is outlined in the California Constitution. Unlike its national counterpart, which has been amended just 27 times, California’s 1879 document has been tinkered with more than 500 times. As California Local writer Jonathan Vankin notes, it is the eighth-wordiest constitution in the world. Naturally, there’s a complicated history behind how it came into being, and Vankin surveys it all, from the Napoleonic era to the present. Serving as a companion piece is an article recently published by California Local Media Alliance member Monterey County Weekly, in which writer David Schmaltz looks at one particular moment in time on the road to California becoming part of the United States.
California’s Governmental Structure: From Chaos to Compromise
California's government was born out of utter chaos. Here's how the state developed some sort of order to the way it operates, and how it makes and enforces laws.
David Schmaltz outlines a pivotal point in California history in his Monterey County Weekly cover story on the Battle of Natividad.
|
Santa Clara County's Homepage |
| Our overview page for Santa Clara County is updated daily with the latest state and local news, weather alerts, local government announcements and local blog posts and news snippets from community groups and individuals. | |
| Direct your browser to santaclara.californialocal.com to catch up on the latest news in California and Santa Clara County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community! | |
Get to Know a Group
|
Big Brothers Big Sisters |
Big Brother Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with strong, enduring, professionally supported mentorship. The organization believes that all children can achieve success when given the proper tools and resources—and volunteer mentors are among the most important of those resources.
|
From Our Media Allies |
→ View All |
 |
Citizen Science Project Underway to Count California’s Monarch Butterflies |
|
The best pathway toward protecting the monarchs is through data collection, which is taking place right now through Dec. 4, up and down the California coast. |
|
Recent Local News |
→ View All |
• Ecosystems and Rural Communities Will Bear the Brunt of Intensifying Drought
Drought, human-caused climate change, invasive species and a “legacy” of environmental issues are permanently altering California’s landscape and placing some communities and ecosystems at increasing risk.
(11/24/2022) → Santa Cruz Sentinel• Work-From-Home Culture Takes Root in California
New U.S. Census Bureau data shows a large segment of Californians are working from home for part or all of the week. Researchers say the shift will ripple through the broader economy in ways big and small.
(11/22/2022) → Monterey Herald