California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas claims he has a new way to hold state government accountable. He introduced a series of legislative hearings to examine how well state laws are working. Lawmakers handpicked 13 laws enacted in the last decade for review, often ones they wrote themselves. Rivas did not specify criteria for selection, only that it was based on voluntary participation. Details about the program remain scant. Rivas says the new program, called the Outcomes Review Oversight Project, will help lawmakers reassess laws they authored or championed and, if necessary, improve them. Findings are expected in the fall, so any potential changes to laws wouldn't happen until at least next year.
