McNulty
When Bernadette “Bernie” McNulty retired from her position as chief assistant secretary of the California State Senate in early 2025, it was the end of an era. McNulty, 65, had earned a reputation as the go-to parliamentarian in Sacramento over the course of a nearly 30-year career in the Legislature.
She interned with the Assembly in 1997 while studying at nearby University of California, Davis, as an active member of the military. “It was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life, aside from the military,” says McNulty, who began her career in the U.S. Air Force in 1979. “For that year, I was intrigued, especially with parliamentary procedure, because I thought I wanted to go to law school.”
McNulty read “Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure” and decided a career in the legislature might suit her better than one in law. She joined the secretary of the Senate’s office in 1998 and balanced her military career with her legislative work for about a decade before retiring from the latter in 2008.
Path to Parliamentarian Expertise
A self-described “procedural geek,” McNulty worked her way to chief assistant secretary in 2009. “I just wanted to grow, so I learned the rules. I became an expert on Mason’s Manual,” she says. “I enjoyed advising and making recommendations for not only the staff but the members, and helping them through the process.
“If we’re on the floor at the time and we get into some procedural stuff, that really pumped me up. I would anticipate what could possibly happen, and I’d have plans A, B, C and D in place, being aware that that was part of my job, to help the body get through those kinds of things. It gave me a thrill.”
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McNulty’s commitment to procedure didn’t go unnoticed by legislators. “Bernie is as tough as nails, incredibly smart, a problem solver and is the type of person you want by your side in the toughest moments of life. No matter what, she always got the job done,” says Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D). “Her dedication to public service and the people of California is admirable and the state is stronger because of her leadership.”
McNulty spurred the office to get reinvolved with NCSL and the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, or ASLCS, in 2005, and she took on leadership roles with the organization and its publications herself.
“I remained a dues-paying member for the rest of my time,” she says. “It’s nice to have that group of people to share with and learn from. I have many mentors from ASLCS that I will always be thankful for. I learned so much from so many people, and they were open arms about it.”
Many of McNulty’s colleagues have similar things to say about her. “It’s hard to describe someone that means this much to an institution,” says Heshani Wijemanne, who succeeded McNulty as chief assistant secretary in 2025 after working under her for nine years. “She was never afraid to share her knowledge and make sure that people understood the logic behind what we do. She was a mentor to many. She’s changed a lot of people’s lives.”
McNulty’s parliamentary expertise underpinned every session and kept the legislature running smoothly, Wijemanne says. “She’s respected on both sides of the aisle, because she doesn’t pay deference to a certain side. She respects the rules and parliamentary procedure and will apply them equally to everyone.”
A Leader and Mentor
Wijemanne remembers a day during the COVID-19 pandemic when the chamber was not usable. McNulty “pivoted us completely to go and function out of a committee room in another building and hold a floor session to take up bills,” Wijemanne says. “Because of that, we have a contingency plan now, should we not be able to function in the chamber, and that’s because of her.”
In the first few months at the office, the void left by McNulty’s retirement has been unmistakable. “It feels weird not having her here,” Wijemanne says. “I still haven’t moved into her desk. Quite honestly, it’s kind of daunting, because she was such a big deal. I don’t know how else to say it.”
She adds, “What I tell people is that there is no filling of those shoes, that I am wearing different shoes.”
Regardless of anyone’s shoes, Wijemanne’s readiness for the role helped spur McNulty’s decision to retire. “A good leader and manager knows when it’s time to go,” McNulty says. “When managers stay in place too long, they keep the people under them down. When there’s no progression, then you start losing people.”
Now that she’s not down in the procedural weeds on a daily basis, McNulty is relaxing and taking care of some projects around the house. “Do what I want to do on my own time when I want to do it—if I want to do it,” she jokes.
Come 2026, McNulty plans to hit the road. “I want to go to Ireland, Scotland, England, Italy and the Netherlands, and I want to take an RV and drive around the United States,” she says. “There’s so much to see.”
Besides Yellowstone National Park and maybe a week at a dude ranch, McNulty plans to ring up old friends from NCSL. “I might go see my pals at the capitols and reach out to everybody that I know,” she laughs.
Eric Peterson is a Denver-based freelance writer.