1. UNIT 4: The Missouri Constitution
II. Describe the purpose and structure of Missouri’s government.
Main Idea (2b): The Legislative Branch.
Liberty and the Law Mr. Presley

2. B. MAIN IDEA - The Legislative Branch
As created by ARTICLE III of the Missouri Constitution, the legislative branch in our state is called the General Assembly.
The General Assembly is divided into two houses - the Senate and House of Representatives.
There are 163 house districts set by law, and there are 34 senate districts.
The Missouri constitution requires different qualifications to be a member of the General Assembly:

3. For the House of Representatives, a member must be at least 24 years old, be a registered voter for two years, and lived in the district to be elected from for at least one year.
For the Senate, a member must be at least 30 years old, be a registered voter for three years, and lived in the district to be elected from for at least one year.
Senators serve the General Assembly for four years, while Representatives serve for two years.
The United States Constitution reserves powers not granted to the national government to the General Assembly - The focus of the General Assembly has been health, safety, and welfare of the citizens.

4. Leadership in the General Assembly is based on the hierarchy and set up by the constitution.
In the House of Representatives:
The House Speaker - Elected by other members to call on members who wish to speak, assign proposals for laws to committees, hold order, and appoints chairpersons and members of committees.
Speaker Pro-Tem - is the ex-officio (“in the place of“) speaker when House Speaker is absent.
Majority or Minority Leader - Keeps the support of his/her party members and win support from the other party, as well as an ex-officio member of all committees.
Majority or Minority Whip - Helps leader to get and maintain support for the party’s program.

5. In the Senate:
Senate President - The state‘s lieutenant governor is president of the Senate who calls on members who wish to speak.
Speaker Pro-Tem - is the ex-officio (“in the place of“) speaker when Senate President is absent.
Majority or Minority Leader - does the same as the House, except the majority leader also sets the schedule and order of business in the Senate.
Majority or Minority Whip - does the same as the House.

6. Process of lawmaking in the State of Missouri follows the same pattern as the Federal government.
First, a member of the General Assembly in either house must introduce the bill.
Second, the bill is sent to the committee based on its subject by the speaker and president pro-tem.
Committees do most of the work on proposed laws: the job of the committee is to study and discuss the bill in detail, usually with invitations to people who support and oppose the bill.
Third, the bill is placed on the list of bills to be considered by the full house, known as the calendar.

7. Fourth, the entire house, called the floor, now debates the bill as reported from the committee: it will be debated and/or amended before it could be made perfect.
Fifth, the bill is read again and a final vote is called.
Sixth, the bill is referred to the other house.
Seventh, if the bill has major changes between the two houses, it is sent to the conference committee where they will compromise on the bill: a bill must be approved in the same form by both houses.

8. Finally, it is sent for final approval to the governor, who may sign it into law, veto the entire bill, or line-item veto (to nullify or "cancel" specific provisions of a bill, usually budget appropriations, without vetoing the entire legislative package).

9. GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Focus is on the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens.
Introduces bills for consideration to become laws.
Reserves powers not granted to the national government.
Divided into two houses.
Committee is to study and discuss the bill in detail.