Democrats run the California Capitol. When the party backs a bill, lawmakers pay attention

The California Democratic Party is a multimillion dollar powerhouse whose endorsements and campaign cash can make or break a politician’s aspirations for state or federal office.

The party, as it turns out, also regularly throws its weight around on individual pieces of legislation in the California Capitol, where Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers.

Track record so far

So far, in the ongoing 2023-24 session, the party has supported 142 bills, according to combined records from party officials and the CalMatters Digital Democracy database.

Few other organizations have weighed in on more legislation, making the party, whose primary function is electing Democrats, one of the most prolific – and successful – lobbying organizations in the Capitol.

“California Democrats are committed to uplifting all Californians and moving our state forward,” the party’s chairperson, Rusty Hicks, told CalMatters in a statement. “The work of Democrats in the state Legislature is an important part of making that commitment a reality. (The party’s) inclusive, thorough process ensures the legislation we support reflects our shared values.”

The bills on which the party takes a position are typically deep in the weeds of state policy. For instance, the party supported a bill that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last year that requires judges to take into account the needs of impoverished communities and small farmers in disputes over groundwater.

The party also supports a pending bill that would require artificial intelligence developers to disclose what data they use to “train” their systems.

Analysis finds the party usually gets its way on bills

A Digital Democracy analysis last month found that the Democratic Party was one of the most successful lobbying groups in the Capitol. The analysis was based on whether bills advanced or died in accordance with a group’s position.

Gregg Hart, a Democratic Assemblymember from Santa Barbara, said it’s not a sure thing he’ll vote for a bill if the party supports it. But he said the party is one of the organizations, including labor and environmental groups, whose opinions he values as he’s casting hundreds of votes in a given year.

“When I see the Democratic Party has endorsed a bill,” he said, “that gives me notice.”

That doesn’t mean the party’s endorsement is a guaranteed ticket to a bill getting signed into law. One in three of the bills the party supports don’t advance, according to Digital Democracy.

One recent example: The party supported a bill that Newsom vetoed last year that would have prevented local governments from punishing public employees for going on strike in solidarity of other striking workers. Newsom’s veto message said he couldn’t support the legislation out of fears simultaneous “sympathy strikes” at various levels of local government could “seriously disrupt or even halt the delivery of critical public services.”

Another bill the party supported last year that stalled out is legislation aimed at creating a grant program to compensate new teachers in credential programs as they go through student teaching.

How the Democratic Party endorses bills

To get the Democratic Party’s official endorsement on a bill, party leaders, a Democratic legislator, an official county Democratic organization or the various caucuses inside the party can file a request with the party’s legislation committee to consider endorsing or opposing a bill. Party officials say lobbyists or other individuals outside the official party apparatus are not allowed to submit applications.

The 30 people on the committee are all delegates for the party’s central committee who apply for the position. Party leaders choose members every odd numbered year based on their professional backgrounds and experience as well as their demographic characteristics such as age, sexual orientation and race, party officials say.

The party’s legislation committee’s co-chairs are Margaret Granado, a Los Angeles-area teacher who’s a California Teachers Association official and Amar “A.J.” Thomas, a San Francisco lawyer and city official.

Party officials say they typically don’t oppose legislation, unless they’re Republican-authored bills. This session, the party never formally opposed a bill.

If the legislation makes the cut, the bills are forwarded to the party’s 400-plus member executive board for an official sign off. The executive board is made up of members of the party’s county central committees, co-chairs of the various state party committees and the members of Democratic National Committee. Democratic members of the California Senate, Assembly and U.S. Congress also have an executive board seat.

The executive board typically votes on the packages of bills through what’s known as a “consent calendar” process that doesn’t involve discussing each individual bill. But members of the board can request to pull bills off the consent calendar for a full vetting, party officials say.

How the state's Republican Party differs

California’s Republican Party, by contrast, doesn’t take positions on individual bills other than on ballot initiatives that first need to make it through the Legislature. The party instead focuses on political campaigns.

“Our role as the (party) is to support and elect Republicans, and we leave the legislating to the legislators,” party spokesperson Ellie Hockenbury said in a statement. “We follow their lead to help them spread the message about important bills and issues. However, we do not have a formal endorsement process for those.”

Hans Poschman and Thomas Gerrity, members of the CalMatters Digital Democracy team, contributed to this story.