Georgia and the American Experience Chapter 15: Government of the Empire State Section 2 Legislative Branch ©2005 Clairmont Press

Legislative Branch Law-making body in Georgia Officially known as the Georgia General Assembly Bicameral (two-houses): House of Representatives and Senate Only House can write spending bills Only the Senate can confirm appointments made by the governor Either house can propose and pass bills, and all bills must be approved by both houses before being sent to the governor.

Members of the General Assembly 180 members of the House and 56 members of the Senate elected by popular vote to 2 year terms of office no limit on number of consecutive terms members’ districts have about the same number of voters Qualifications citizen of US and Georgia at least 2 years legal resident of district for at least 1 year Senators: must be at least 25 years old Representatives: must be at least 21 years old

Legislative Sessions The GA General Assembly meets each year for a 40-day session (beginning the second Monday in January through middle of March) Lieutenant governor presides over the senate, but has no vote Members of house of representatives elect a Speaker of the House The speaker can vote only if there is a tie

Committees Organized like Congress in committees and subcommittees Bills may start in the House or the Senate Standing committees are a permanent part of the General Assembly Ways and Means- Tax Bills Appropriations- Budget Bills Judiciary- State Laws and Court Systems Interim committees only work on assigned special tasks Conference committees works out agreements between House and Senate on bills Joint committees have members of the House and the Senate to work on an assigned topic or issue Members serve on several committees

Types of Legislation The Georgia General Assembly can pass laws, amend (change) them, or do away with them some law topics: taxes education property criminal matters and punishments public health regulation of businesses & professions

How a Bill Becomes a Law Any senator or representative can propose a bill Bills related to spending must begin in the House The same version of the bill must pass House and Senate to become a law If they pass different versions of a bill, the 2 versions are sent to a conference committee to create a compromise bill that both houses will accept. The Governor can sign or veto the bill if it passes both the House and Senate

Reapportionment Occurs each 10 years following the census Legislature must redraw the voting districts to make them have equal numbers of people 2001: districts drawn by Democratic legislature ruled unconstitutional 2004: revisions made to district map Gerrymandering: drawing up a election district to support a particular group