President of the Senate, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi
Under the State Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor serves as the President of the Senate. However, by law and custom the role of the President is extremely limited. He or she may be invited periodically to preside on ceremonial occasions, such as the opening of the Session. However, the only time the Lieutenant Governor is actually entitled to participate in the business of the Senate is in the case of a tie vote, when he or she casts the vote breaking the tie.
President pro Tempore, Senator Don Perata (D -
Oakland)
The President pro Tempore, who also serves as the Chair of
the Rule Committee, is the actual leader of the Senate. He or she is elected by
the Members at the beginning of each Session. The "Pro Tem" is the presiding
office on the Floor, overseeing the appointment of committee members, assignment
of bills, progress of legislation through the house, confirmation of
gubernatorial appointees, and overall direction of policy. He or she is also the
political leader of the majority party.
Assistant President pro Tempore, Senator Leland Yee (D -
San Francisco/San Mateo)
Majority Leader, Senator Gloria Romero (D
- Los Angeles)
The Majority Leader is chosen by the Majority Caucus,
and serves as the main Floor manager for the President pro Tempore and Majority
Party. He or she also is the chief assistant in political matters and
strategy.
Minority Leader, Senator Dave Cogdill (R -
Modesto)
The Minority Leader (also known as the "Republican Leader")
is the second-most powerful position in the Senate. Elected by members of the
Minority Caucus, he or she speaks for the Minority Party, maintains its inner
discipline, and works with the President pro Tempore to set the Senate's order
of business.
Majority Whip,
Minority Whip, Senator Tom Harman (R -
Huntington Beach)
Whips are essentially assistants to the political
leadership of each party in the Senate. They are elected by the respective
caucuses, and help count potential votes on matters which present particular
party concerns.
Democratic Caucus Chair, Senator Carole Migden
(D - San Francisco)
Republican Caucus Chair, Senator George Runner (R -
Lancaster)
Caucus chairs are elected by their respective parties. They
convene caucus meetings, provide political advice to their leadership, and
manage staff assisting Members in providing constituent services and
communications with the public.
Secretary of the Senate, Gregory
Schmidt
The Secretary of the Senate is one of the three officers
of the Senate who are elected by the total Membership, the other two officers
being the President pro Tempore and the Chief Sergeant-at-Arms. He or she is the
chief parliamentarian and keeper of the legislative records. The Secretary of
the Senate is responsible for the accurate drafting of bills and the
presentation of bills to the Governor. He or she is also the Executive Officer
of the Senate, in charge of the day-to-day administration of the budgeting,
personnel, accounting, purchases, contracting and property management.
Chief Sergeant-at-Arms, Tony Beard, Jr.
The Chief
Sergeant-at-Arms, elected by the total Membership of the Senate, is responsible
for order on the Senate Floor, and in committees and meetings. He or she is
essentially the "chief" of the Senate's internal policing agency. The Chief
Sergeant-at-Arms works closely with the California Highway Patrol and the
Assembly Sergeants to maintain the security of the Capitol and Senate offices
statewide. The Chief Sergeant also oversees various service officers within the
house.
Speaker, Karen Bass
The highest ranking officer of the Assembly; usually
elected by the Assembly Members at the beginning of each two-year legislative
session. The Speaker or his or her designee presides over Floor Session. The
Speaker's powers and duties are established by the Assembly Rules.
Speaker pro Tempore, Assemblywoman Sally
Lieber
An officer appointed by the Speaker that presides over
Floor Sessions in the absence of the Speaker.
Majority Floor Leader/Majority Leader, Assembly Member Alberto Torrico
Elected by the majority party caucus. Represents the
Speaker on the Floor, expedites Assembly Floor proceedings through parliamentary
procedures such as motions and points of order and promotes harmony among the
membership.
Assistant Majority Floor Leader/Majority Leader, Assembly Member Kevin De Leon
Majority Whip, Assembly Member Fiona Ma
Assistant Majority Whip, Assembly Member Mary Hayashi
Democratic Caucus Chair, Assemblywoman Noreen Evans
Minority Floor Leader, Assembly
Member Michael Villines
Elected by the caucus having the second
largest House membership. Generally responsible for making motions, points of
order and representing the minority caucus on the Floor.
Chief Clerk, E. Dotson Wilson
A
nonpartisan, nonmember officer of the Assembly elected by the majority of the
membership at the start of each two-year session as its legislative officer and
parliamentarian.
Chief Sergeant-at-Arms, Ronald E. Pane
Staff responsible for maintaining order and providing security for
legislators. The Chief Sergeant-at-Arms in each House is elected by a majority
of the Members of that House at the beginning of every legislative session.