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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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