DEMOCRATS GAIN SUPER MAJORTY IN CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE

Update December 1, 2016:  With all races counted,  Democrats have attained a super-majority in both houses of the California Legislature.

By Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2016 (Sacramento) — Democrats are just one seat away from gaining a super-majority in both houses of the California State Legislature, meaning they could over-ride a Governor’s veto and pass revenue-raising measures or amend spending laws without a single Republican vote.

The Democratic regained a Supermajority in the state Assembly in the November election, controlling at least 54 seats and could gain even more with one seat still too close to call.

But to have a Supermajority in the Senate, Democrats must also win a contest in the community of Diamond Bar, where a race between Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang, a Republican, and Democrat Josh Newman, is still too close to call with mail-in and provisional ballots still to be counted.

The Sacramento Bee reports that the Republican is ahead by a slim two-point margin currently. If that holds, Republicans would have the ability to block spending measures or a veto override by a single vote—but only if every member of the State Senate is present to vote on critical measures.