California lawmakers frequently break the law by using gut and amend tactics to get unpopular bills passed.

Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh tried every trick in his political playbook to make California the first state in the nation to fine parents caught smoking in cars with small children present.

When his bill was killed by fellow lawmakers in public hearings, he gutted an entirely different bill and filled the empty shell with his anti-smoking measure. When that bill failed, the Los Angeles Democrat gutted another one and did it again.

Despite it being illegal and unconstitutional in California, it happens all the time. The Orange County Register found that 102 of 800 bills (roughly 12%) voted on during the last two weeks of the legislative session are 'gut and amend' bills.