Georgia's Legislature

1. Georgia's Legislature

2. U.S. Constitution • The U.S constitution states: the powers not delegated to the U.S. by the constitution, nor prohibited by it are reserved to the states or the people. • 1789, Georgia’s General assembly was reorganized as a bicameral or two-house legislature with a Senate and a House of Representatives.

3. Qualifications House of Representitives Senate 56 members Must be 25 Have lived in Georgia 2 years Resident of district Citizen of U.S. • 180 members • Must be 21 years old • Have lived in Georgia 2 years • Resident of the district • Citizen of the U.S.

4. House of Representatives and Senate Roles • Only the House can write spending bills and only the Senate can confirm executive appointments. • Either house can propose a bill. All bills must be approved by both houses before going to the governor.

5. How many? • There are 180 members of the House of Representatives and 56 members of the Senate. • Requirements: • Senate: 25, U.S. citizen, Georgia 2 years and live in district • House: 21, U.S. citizen, Georgia 2 years and live in district.

6. Duties • The lieutenant governor presides over the senate. • Members of the House elect a speaker as their presiding officer.

7. Duties of the presiding officers • Determine the order of business • Control debate • Rule out proposed amendments to bills • Enforce rules of procedure for the general assembly • Control meeting times and recesses • Order a roll call vote

8. Bills • All bills must reviewed by a house of senate committees before they can be brought to either the whole house or sent for a vote.

9. Committees • The advantage of committees is each bill gets looked at closely. • There are three standing committees: • 1. Ways and Means =taxes • 2. appropriations =budget • 3. judiciary =laws and courts

10. committees • Interim committee works on assigned issues and concerns between sessions of the legislature. • Conference committee is appointed when the House and Senate pass two different versions of the same law. • Joint committee is made up of both houses to work on an assigned topic or issue.

11. Legislation • The General Assembly can pass legislation on such matters as taxes, education and property. • Like the Federal government Georgia must work each year from a budget that outlines sources of income for the state, called revenues and plans for spending those funds, called expenditures.

12. Budget • Georgia’s constitution requires that the state have a budget, one that matches expenditures and revenues.

13. Revenue • Georgia has three basic sources of revenue • 1. state funds • 2. special funds • 3. federal funds • Federal and state funding sources or revenue include: income tax, sales tax, lottery, trust funds, and tobacco settlements.

14. Revenue • About 90% of Georgia's revenue comes from taxes.

15. How a bill becomes a law Works like the federal except it is the Governor .

16. District lines • One task of the legislature every 10 years is to redraw the maps dividing Georgia into voting districts. • In the 2000 census, Georgia gained House seats, moving from 11 to 13. • In recent years metro and northern counties have been republican.

17. Capitals • Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, Milledgeville Atlanta.