Sacramento 101
California
THE LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULE IN CALIFORNIA
The California State Legislature is in session roughly from the
first week of January to the last week of August. Deciding
when to visit a legislative office depends on your goals of the
meeting.
If you want to develop a relationship with your own legislator,
try and set up a meeting in the district office between
September through December when their schedule is less
hurried.
If you have a legislative idea, this is also a good time to bring
it up for consideration. Once the Legislature is in session,
legislators travel to the capitol on Monday mornings, and
leave Thursday around noon. If you don’t want to travel to the
capitol, try and schedule an appointment with a legislator on
Fridays when they are home in the district.
When legislators are at the capitol it can be very busy the
first few weeks in January. Schedules slow down in February
and start picking up in mid-March through the first week of
July. Legislators have the rest of July off and return in August
before leaving at the end of the month.
When members are not in session during their summer recess
in July and in the fall, legislators constantly meet with various
constituent groups. You can invite a legislator to speak at
your event, get them to speak to community leaders, and even
set up a tour for your legislator to visit your facility or
organization. Just make sure you approach YOUR legislator in
YOUR district.