California’s Constitution establishes rules for a wide range of legislative actions, from passing the state budget to increasing taxes to placing constitutional amendments on the ballot.
- Some actions need only a simple majority vote of each house of the Legislature — 41 votes in the 80-member Assembly and 21 votes in the 40-member state Senate.
- Other actions require a two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature — 54 votes in the Assembly and 27 votes in the Senate.
- Most legislative actions require the governor’s signature, and some need voter approval.
This table summarizes the requirements for approving key legislative actions in California.
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