Steven Choi: All bills deserve a vote in Sacramento, not just Democratic bills
Under legislative parliamentary procedure, a member may use the “condition of the file” before adjournment of the Session to make a statement about business they believe still requires attention.
On Tuesday evening, I used this tool to speak on my disappointment that Senate Bill 405, legislation I introduced, was not granted the courtesy of a motion for a vote in the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee last month. The problem arises when a committee has only one Republican member. Without another Republican member present, a Republican bill author is at the mercy of his Democratic colleagues to get a motion on his bills for a vote, as it is the Senate’s custom and practice to prohibit members from moving their own bills.
Prior to my motion on the “condition of the file,” I motioned to withdraw SB 405 from the Senate Elections Committee to the Senate Floor. Senate Resolution 4, which established the standing rules of the Senate, allowed me to use Senate Rule 28, which reads “A bill or resolution may not be withdrawn from committee except upon written notice being first given to the Committee on Rules and by 21 votes of the Senate.” Fellow Republicans supported the move, while Democrat members overwhelmingly opposed even bringing the bill to a vote.
Senate Bill 405 would have simply allowed communities throughout the state to authorize voter ID requirements for their local elections. A survey by the Berkeley Institute of Government Studies found that a vast majority of Californians support requiring a government ID to vote. My bill would repeal a recently enacted section of the Elections Code, and allow local governments to once again enact voter ID requirements at their discretion. My constituents and those of my fellow State Senators have made their will clear and it is a shame that the Democrats in the legislature have turned their backs on them. Good ideas need not be partisan.
This speaks to a larger issue with the “one-party rule” in Sacramento. Democrats are able to limit the number of Republican members on committees, take away committee assignments over disagreements, and generally stifle Republican voices in the Senate. While this petty behavior has become the norm in the halls of the Capitol, it is, at best, a disservice to our constituents across California.
As of 2024, 46.2% of California voters are registered as Democrats, while 24.7% are registered Republicans. All Californians deserve representation, regardless of their party affiliation. Committee membership should be representative of the diverse political opinions. Instead, Californians are represented by the whims of the Democratic supermajority. With over 5 million registered Republicans, it is disappointing that their voices are being muted in the state Senate. Further, each Republican Senator represents approximately 1 million constituents- each of whom are being shorted when their elected representative lacks their own representation in the Senate.
In the state Senate alone, numerous committees only have one member of the minority party. Those committees include: Agriculture; Elections and Constitutional Amendments; Human Services; Labor, Public Employment and Retirement; Military and Veterans Affairs; Public Safety; and Revenue and Taxation. Each of these seven committees restricts representation of California Republicans.
Democracy should represent all Californians but these committees are shrouded in a lack of representation for the minority party, and thus for all those who identify with it. California prides itself on diversity. Without diversity of thought and representation in the Legislature, it’s hard to uphold that ideal and is ultimately a disservice to the voters.
Steven Choi represents the 37th state Senate District