California State Assembly

The California State Assembly serves as the lower house of the California State Legislature, meeting at the State Capitol in Sacramento. The Assembly has twice as many members as the Senate, which makes it harder for individual members to affect legislation. Democrats have controlled the body for 39 years, rendering the minority impotent on some issues.

Leadership

Article IV, Section 7 of the California Constitution allows each legislative house to select its own officers. The Assembly has chosen to elect a Speaker as its leader, with each party allowed to select a floor leader.

The current and 67th Speaker is Karen Bass, the first female to hold that office. Alberto Torrico and Sam Blakeslee serve as Majority and Minority Leaders, respectively.