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.
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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.
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• 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• Santa Cruz Program Seeks to Curb Residents’ Carbon Footprint
Resilient Santa Cruz program attempts to curb residents’ carbon emissions through an online platform.
(11/23/2022) → 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• How a Progressive Came From Behind to Win a Supervisorial Seat
Justin Cummings trailed Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson by nearly 5 percentage points after Election Day. More than a week later, he pulled ahead, giving credence to the local axiom that Santa Cruz progressives just vote later.
(11/21/2022) → Read the full Lookout Local report