The Impact of Absenteeism in California's State Legislature

In recent years, California’s Democratic supermajority has led to a strong trend of “yes” votes in the legislature. Yet, the practice of marking absences and abstentions as “No Vote Recorded” leaves constituents uncertain about their legislators’ positions and reasons for missing votes. This year, seven Assembly members—four Democrats and three Republicans—missed over a quarter of their voting opportunities. While many of these absences were for legitimate reasons, like medical issues or family emergencies, as with Assemblymembers Megan Dahle and Sabrina Cervantes, other cases are less clear, leading to questions about whether legislators are abstaining to avoid taking a stance on divisive issues.

This ambiguity has significant impacts, as unrecorded votes effectively count as “no” votes and have caused some legislation to fail. For instance, Digital Democracy data shows that 45 bills failed in the current legislative session due to missed votes. During a crucial week in August, 21 lawmakers missed votes while attending the Democratic National Convention, including one on a controversial criminal sentencing bill that might have passed if they had been present. California Labor Federation president Lorena Gonzalez, a former Assemblymember, emphasizes the lack of transparency around missed votes, noting that without clearer explanations, constituents are left unsure about whether their legislators are truly representing their interests.

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