1. Chapter 11
Making State Laws

2. Vocabulary assembly – a branch/part of some state legislatures
Maryland General Assembly

3. Vocabulary
district – a part of a state that elects on state representative or state senator

4. Vocabulary
initiative – the process that people in a state use to introduce and vote on proposed laws (bills)

5. Vocabulary
petition – a written paper signed by many people that asks the government to take some action, or do something

6. Vocabulary
referendum – the process that people use to force their state legislature to let the people vote on bills and let the people approve or not approve a bill

7. Vocabulary
recall – a way for the people to remove a state government official from office

8. State Legislatures
Have two houses:
The upper house
The lower house

9. State Legislatures
Sessions last only a couple of months

10. State Legislatures Have committees: Study bills
Pass along or kill bills

11. Presiding Officers Leaders for each house:
Lower House presiding officer: The Speaker
Upper House presiding officer: The President
Sub-presiding officer pro tempore

12. Presiding Officer Duties
Appoints (picks) committees and committee chairpersons
Runs the sessions
Decides who gets to speak on proposed bills

13. The Lower House Called: The House of Representatives The Assembly
The People’s House

14. The Lower House Members elected from districts Term = 2 years
Districts have equal number of people
Term = 2 years

15. The Upper House
Called:
The Senate

16. The Upper House
Term = 4 years

17. Powers People Have
Initiative
Referendum
Recall

18. Initiative
Write a
Get people to
Vote

19. Referendum
When voters __________________ on a bill the legislature is _________________
In the next election voters can ________________________________________________________

20. Recall
People _________________________ an elected state official from ______________________
People must sign a ______________________ then a new ________________ happens