1. PA Government
Civics – Chapter 13

2. Legislative Branch (General Assembly)
Federal level: Congress
State level: General Assembly
The General Assembly is bicameral (2 houses)
State House of Representatives (203)
State Senate (50)
Districts are all equal based on POPULATION
Senators must be at least 25 years old
Reps. must be at least 21 years old

3. PA State Senate Districts
1 state senator = ~240,000 people

4. 1 state representative = ~ 60,000 people

5. Our State Senator and Representative
John Eichelberger
Republican
State Representative
Rick Geist
Republican

6. How a PA bill becomes law
Bill-making process very similar to US Congress
Bill starts out as idea
Introduced and drafted in committee
Debated on floor of one house
Sent to other house and debated
Revised in conference committee
Sent to Governor

7. One Important Note
The PA legislature cannot make any laws that go against federal laws or the Constitution.
If so, the US Supreme Court can eliminate them!

8. Budget Issue for States
Recently, many state legislatures (inc. PA) do not have the money to fund projects
Three possibilities:
Raise taxes to get more money
Cut programs to save money
Borrow money from federal government

10. The PA Executive Branch
Head of exec branch = governor
Current governor is Tom Corbett (R)
Qualifications
30 years of age
Resident of PA for 5 years
American citizen
If governor leaves office,
the lieutenant governor takes over (like VP)

11. Governor’s Responsibilities
Chief executive – in charge of PA agencies and departments
Chief legislator – proposes laws and signs or vetoes legislation by Gen. Assembly
Commander in chief of PA national guard
Party Leader (currently for Republicans)

12. Other roles of Governor
Pardon = forgiveness from crime
Commute = reduction in prison sentence
Parole = early release from prison
Can be made by governor
Usually done by committees of prison officials

13. The PA Judicial Branch Jurisdiction deals only with Pennsylvania Law
Can be grouped into two types of groups:
Higher Courts (criminal/civil cases + appeals)
General trial courts
Appellate courts
State Supreme Court
Lower Courts (minor offenses)
Municipal courts
Traffic courts, juvenile courts, magistrate courts

14. PA vs. U.S. Supreme Court
The PA Supreme Court is NOT necessarily the last stop
The case can then go to the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC.
Usually involves violations of US Constitution or disputes with other states