CALIFORNIA, THE GOLDEN STATE
Compiled by the Office of the Chief Clerk Assembly of the State of California
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| State Capitol | Sacramento | |
| Date California Admitted as a State | September 9, 1850 | |
| State Motto | "Eureka" (Greek:"I have found it!") | |
| Population | 38,802,500 | |
| Number of Registered Voters | 17,717,936 | |
| Population Density | 239 people/sq. mi. | |
| 
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| Land Area | ||
| Includes 2,674 sq. mi. of inland water | 158,648 sq. mi. | |
| Coastal Water Area (Pacific water) | 222 sq. mi. | |
| 
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| Highest Elevation | ||
| Feet above sea-level | Mount Whitney 14,505 feet (according to noaa.gov) | |
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| Lowest Elevation | ||
| Feet below sea-level | Death Valley 282 ft. | |
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| Total Number of Counties:   58 | ||
| Governmental/Political Information | ||
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| State Executive Officers | ||
| Number of  Statewide Elective Officers | 12 | |
| (Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Controller, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Board of Equalization, (4), and Insurance Commissioner.) | ||
| Term Limits for Statewide Officers | 2 four-year terms | |
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| State Judiciary | ||
| Number of Justices on State Supreme Court | 7 | |
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| State Legislature | ||
| Number of Assembly Members | 80 | |
| Number of State Senators | 40 | |
| Term Limit | 12 years cumulative (both houses) | |
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| Legislative Voting Requirements | ||
| Vote Required to Pass Statutes | Assembly 41 | |
| Vote Required to Pass Statutes | Senate 21 | |
| Veto Override Vote Requirement: | ||
| Two-thirds in each House | Assembly 54 | |
|  | Senate 27 | |
| Ratification of Amendments to the U.S. Constitution: | ||
| Majority Vote of each House | (By Joint Resolution) | |
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| Miscellaneous Legislative Information | ||
| Impeachment Power | ||
| Assembly indicts, drafts "articles of impeachment,"and elects "managers" to prosecute; Senate tries and votes on impeachment. | ||
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| Legislative Publications | ||
| Daily Journal | ||
| Daily File | ||
| Weekly History | ||
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| Non-Member Officers of the Legislature | ||
| Chief Clerk of  the Assembly | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| Sergeant-at-Arms (in each House) | ||
| Chaplain (in each House) | ||
| Motto of the State Assembly | ||
| Legislatorum Est Justas Leges Condere | ||
| (Latin: "It is the duty of Legislators to make just laws.") | ||
| Motto of the State Senate | ||
| Senatoris Est Civitatis Libertatem Tueri | ||
| (Latin: "It is the duty of a Senator to guard the liberty of the Commonwealth.") | ||
