State Government The Legislative Branch

General Assembly made up of two houses (bicameral) SENATE – Made up of 56 members Leader is the Lt. Governor called President of the Senate Elected to two year terms HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – Made up of 180 members Leader is the Speaker of the House (elected by members of the house) Elected to two year terms

SENATOR Qualifications: 25 years old Citizen of the U.S. Citizen of Georgia for at least 2 years Legal resident of the district they were elected in for 1 year

REPRESENTATIVE Qualifications: 21 years old Citizen of the U.S. Citizen of Georgia for 2 years Legal resident of the district from which they were elected

LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS The General Assembly meets for 40 days a year beginning on the second Monday of January Breaks and recesses do not count Usually ends mid-March

Presiding Officers President of the Senate- -Does not get to vote in the senate -Appoints committees -Appoints committee chairs -Assigns bills to committees Speaker of the House- –Does get to vote when there is a tie –Appoints committees –Appoints committee chairs –Assigns bills to committees

COMMITTEES Committee system makes it possible for members to study bills closely There are several different types of committees – some permanent and some temporary Members may serve on several committees Committee chairs determine when the committee meets and what order the bills are discussed and when the bills will be voted on.

Standing Committee A permanent committee that lasts from one session to the next –Examples: –Ways and Means (handles tax bills) –Appropriations (works on the budget) –Judiciary (deals with bills concerning the state’s law and court system

Interim Committee Organized for a special task or until the work is completed Works on assigned issues between the legislative sessions

Conference Committee A special committee Appointed when the house and senate pass different versions of the same bill Made up of (3) senators and (3) representatives Takes both bills and tries to write one bill that both houses agree on

Joint Committee Another special committee – Made up of members of both houses Works on an assigned issue or topic

Reapportionment Takes place every 10 years Redraw maps dividing Georgia into voting districts This is done to make sure there is fair representation in our state.

Georgia House of Representatives District Map 2006

Georgia State Senate District Map