The California legislature: how it works
What your state legislature controls covers the general powers. This page profiles California's legislature.
The basics
California's legislature is bicameral: the Assembly has 80 members serving 2-year terms, and the Senate has 40 members serving staggered 4-year terms, with half the seats up every two years. It is one of the country's few full-time, professionalized legislatures, with year-round staff and a session running January through August (the 2026 session convenes January 5 and adjourns August 31). Since Proposition 28 (2012), legislators face a combined lifetime cap of 12 years across both chambers, which can be served entirely in one house or split between both.
Who controls it now
California has a Democratic trifecta. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is term-limited and not eligible to run again in November 2026. Democrats hold roughly 60 of 80 Assembly seats to 19-20 Republicans, and roughly 30 of 40 Senate seats to 10 Republicans.
Where to go
- Legislators and districts: http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts.html
- Senate legislative deadlines calendar: https://www.senate.ca.gov/legislative-deadlines-calendar