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DOWDALL LAW OFFICES <br />A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION <br />ATTORNEYS AT LAW <br />City of Santa Ana <br />August 28, 2023 <br />Page 21 <br />Only when a conflict arises between state and local regulation or where the legislature <br />intends to preempt the field to the exclusion of local regulation does the issue of superiority or <br />predominance of state laws over local regulations arise. Bishop v. City of San Jose, 1 Cal. 3d 56, <br />460 P.2d 137, 81 Cal. Rptr. 465 (1969). <br />The Charter Requires That Ordinances Are Passed with Majority Vote <br />Section Sec. 410 of the charter provides for a democratic solution consistent with the <br />American way: no ordinance, resolution or motion shall be passed, adopted, or become <br />effective unless it receives the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the City <br />Council. <br />Government Code §36936 states that all ordinances require a recorded majority vote of <br />the total membership of the city council. The proposed ordinance would therefore violate State <br />law and to be preempted by the Government Code. <br />Whatever the insidious source of the proposed ordinance in this case, the corrosive, toxic <br />mix would undermine the most fundamental ideas, beliefs, and commitments embedded in our <br />way of life. A democratic society cannot tolerate such shameless, rudderless deviance reaching <br />positions of unrepresentative leadership. <br />An unconstitutional legislative act - at least when it is implemented against an <br />individual - can create civil responsibility to those who are damaged by it. <br />The Liability of Governments for Legislative Acts in the United States of America, 46 Am. J. <br />Comp. L. 531, 540. <br />For local legislation, the vestiges of sovereign immunity for unconstitutional <br />legislative acts are completely gone. In contrast to the state itself, municipalities <br />(as well as independent state agencies) are "persons" subject to the liabilities of <br />section 1983. Like their state counterparts, the municipal legislators would have <br />an immunity from suit. The municipality itself can be held directly liable for a <br />legislative (or policy -making) act of its own that violates federal constitutional <br />rights. Its liability is strict; it must pay damages if its legislation is <br />unconstitutional, even if it reasonably believed that it was proper. Its officials may <br />also be held personally liable, but, like other officials, are not subject to liability <br />unless they acted contrary to clearly established law. <br />This liability may occur if a municipality engages in a course of unconstitutional conduct. <br />and was required by a court to take measures (including legislation) to correct that <br />unconstitutionality. A failure to do so can justify penalties. In U.S. v. City of Yonkers, 856 F.2d <br />-21- <br />