How did the Lex Hortensia change the legal force of plebiscita?

The Lex Hortensia, enacted in 287 BCE by the dictator Quintus Hortensius, fundamentally altered the legal status of plebiscita—the resolutions passed by the plebeian assembly.12

Prior to this law, plebiscites generally required the approval of the Senate to carry the force of law for the entire Roman community. The Lex Hortensia removed this requirement, making these measures binding on all citizens, including patricians, without the need for senatorial consent. This change effectively granted plebiscites the same legal authority as measures passed by other Roman assemblies, such as the centuriate assembly.123

This legislation marked the conclusion of the "Struggle of the Orders," a two-century-long campaign by the plebeians to achieve political equality with the patrician class. While some historians debate the precise novelty of this law—noting that similar measures may have been attempted in 449 and 339 BCE—the Lex Hortensia is traditionally recognized as the definitive act that established the legislative sovereignty of the plebeian assembly.123