The General Assembly The General Assembly, officially the name of the State Legislature, dates from the establishment of the House of Burgesses at Jamestown in 1619. It is now composed of a Senate and a House of Delegates which have the power to: levy taxes, enact laws not specifically prohibited by the state or federal constitution, confirm the Governor’s appointments of state agency heads and board members, approve the budget, elect State Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeals, Circuit and District Court Judges, members of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission, the Auditor of Public Accounts, the Commissioners of the State Corporation Commission, and members of the Virginia Worker’s Compensation Commission. The General Assembly meets annually, beginning on the second Wednesday in January, for 60 days in even-numbered years and for 30days in odd-numbered years, with an option to extend the annual session for a maximum of 30 days. The General Assembly is BICAMERAL!

HOUSE OF DELEGATES: the lower house The House of Delegates consists of 100 members. Each member represents approximately 71,000 citizens. The House membership primarily consists of attorneys, business executives, educators, and farmers. The term of office for a member of the House of Delegates is two years. Each member receives an annual salary of $17,640. To be a member, a person must be 21 years old and reside in the district he or she is representing. Members are considered “civil representatives” as most hold outside jobs The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the House and is elected by the House in even-numbered years for a two-year term. The Speaker’s duties are dictated by the Rules of the House. Among these duties are the assigning of bills to committee and appointing the membership of the 14 House standing committees. The Clerk of the House is elected by the House in even-numbered years and continues in office until another is chosen. The Clerk is responsible for the administration of the House under the direction of the Speaker.

STATE SENATE: the upper house The Senate of Virginia consists of 40 members. Each member is elected for a term of four years and receives an annual salary of $18,000. A Senator represents approximately 176,000 citizens of the Commonwealth. The membership of the current Senate is composed of lawyers, business executives, farmers, and those from a variety of other occupational backgrounds. To be a member of this house, a person must be 21 years old and live in the district he or she is representing. Members are considered “civil representatives” as most hold outside jobs The Lieutenant Governor is the presiding officer of the Senate and is elected in a statewide election for a four-year term. In the event of his absence, the President pro tempore carries out the duties of the presiding officer. The President pro tempore is elected by the Senate for a term of four years. The Clerk of the Senate is elected by the Senate and serves as the chief administrative officer. The Clerk's duties are overseeing the daily operations of the Senate, maintaining all Senate records, keeping the daily Journal, referring bills to committees, personnel management, information technology, and facilities management.

Senate of Virginia Seal The Senate of Virginia adopted its Seal in 1981. The Seal of the Senate has a shield of armor in the center which is divided into four sections, representing the arms of four countries (England, France, Scotland, and Ireland) that contributed to Virginia's early history. The coats of arms, Queen Elizabeth, and the dragon (part of royal seal of England) represent Virginia's heritage. The ivory gavel represents the Senate as a law making body. The cardinal and dogwood depict are two of our state emblems. The ribbon contains the Latin motto of the Senate, which means "May the Senate of Virginia flourish."

How a Bill Becomes a Law: This is a very similar process to national bills in Congress! Our state legislators are forced to be quick with their work because of their limited time in session. Each house has standing committees which do much of the work prior to the beginning of the session. Bills must pass both houses and be signed by the Governor to become law!

Virginia uses several types of direct legislation: Initiative: process of voters proposing legislation (direct and indirect) Referendum: allowing voters to approve a proposed law directly - compulsory: required by law - advisory: request for “input” - popular: sent to people by assembly Recall: election held to withdraw a person from office

2007 Election Breakdown

House of Delegates State Senate General Assembly 2016 House of Delegates State Senate