Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Main IdeaMain Idea::Members of the Members of the General AssemblyGeneral Assembly

NotesNotes::The General Assembly is The General Assembly is bicameral bicameral (has 2 (has 2 chambers/houses). One chambers/houses). One is the House of is the House of Representatives, and one Representatives, and one is the Senate. There are is the Senate. There are 180 members of the 180 members of the House of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives and and 56 members of the 56 members of the SenateSenate. Members of the . Members of the legislature are elected by legislature are elected by popular vote to 2 yr. popular vote to 2 yr. terms of office. terms of office.

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Main IdeaMain Idea::

Members of the Members of the General AssemblyGeneral Assembly

NotesNotes::

There is no limit on the There is no limit on the number of terms a number of terms a representative or representative or senator can serve. senator can serve. Each of these members Each of these members is elected by voters in a is elected by voters in a house or senate house or senate district. Districts district. Districts roughly equal in size. roughly equal in size.

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Main IdeaMain Idea::Presiding OfficersPresiding Officers

NotesNotes::The The Lieutenant Governor Lieutenant Governor presides over (leads) the presides over (leads) the SenateSenate. Members of the . Members of the House of Representatives House of Representatives elect a elect a Speaker Speaker as their as their presiding officer. The presiding officer. The Speaker, like the Speaker, like the Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Governor, appoints committees and appoints committees and their chairpersons and their chairpersons and assigns bills (proposed assigns bills (proposed laws) to those committees. laws) to those committees. The LT Gov. does not have The LT Gov. does not have a vote in the Senate, but a vote in the Senate, but the Speaker of the House the Speaker of the House votes when it is necessary votes when it is necessary to break a tie.to break a tie.

LT. Gov. Casey LT. Gov. Casey CagleCagle

Speaker David Speaker David RalstonRalston

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

NotesNotes::

56 senators56 senators

President Pro TempPresident Pro Temp

- David Shafer- David Shafer

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Main IdeaMain Idea::

Qualifications for the Qualifications for the SenateSenate

NotesNotes::

At the time of their At the time of their election, members of the election, members of the senate are required by senate are required by Georgia’s constitution to Georgia’s constitution to be at least 25 yrs. of age, be at least 25 yrs. of age, citizens of the United citizens of the United States, and citizens of GA States, and citizens of GA for at least 2 yrs. In for at least 2 yrs. In addition, they must have addition, they must have been legal residents of the been legal residents of the district from which they district from which they were elected for at least 1 were elected for at least 1 yr.yr.

Main IdeaMain Idea::

Qualifications for the Qualifications for the House of House of RepresentativesRepresentatives

NotesNotes::

Members of the House Members of the House of Representatives of Representatives must be at least 21 yrs. must be at least 21 yrs. of age, citizens of the of age, citizens of the United States, citizens United States, citizens of Georgia for at least 2 of Georgia for at least 2 yrs., and legal yrs., and legal residents of the district residents of the district from which they were from which they were elected for at least one elected for at least one year.year.

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

R- Johns CreekDistrict 50

Committees:MARTOC – memberNatural Resources & Environment – memberRetirement – MemberWays & Means - Member

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch: Lynne RileyBranch: Lynne Riley

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Main IdeaMain Idea::Presiding OfficersPresiding Officers

NotesNotes::A presiding officer also A presiding officer also has the power to has the power to determine the order of determine the order of business, control debate, business, control debate, rule out proposed rule out proposed amendments to bills, amendments to bills, enforce rules of enforce rules of procedure for the General procedure for the General Assembly, control Assembly, control meeting times and meeting times and recesses of the General recesses of the General Assembly, and order a Assembly, and order a roll call vote on any issue.roll call vote on any issue.

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch: CommitteesBranch: Committees

“The committee system is the heart of the legislative process. The committee does what the Senate and the House of Representatives could not do as well by functioning as a whole. The committee can and should do the fact-finding groundwork.”

GA Legislature Committees

• Standing – established by the Senate and the House of Reps, for the management of their business

• Study- appointed or selected to perform a specific task or study a specific topic

• Conference – formed to reconcile differences of a bill – members of both House and Senate – meet to come up with a same version of a bill

• Joint – composed of both House and Senate members

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Main IdeaMain Idea::Committee SystemCommittee System

NotesNotes::Some committees are Some committees are permanent, lasting from permanent, lasting from one session to the next. one session to the next. These are called These are called standing standing committees.committees. Some of the Some of the standing committees standing committees include: include: Ways and Means Ways and Means CommitteeCommittee, which handles , which handles bills involving taxes; bills involving taxes; The The Appropriations CommitteeAppropriations Committee, , which works on the which works on the budget; and the budget; and the Judiciary Judiciary CommitteeCommittee, which deals , which deals with bills concerning the with bills concerning the state’s laws and court state’s laws and court system.system.

Georgia’s Legislative Georgia’s Legislative Branch:Branch:

Main IdeaMain Idea::Committee SystemCommittee System

NotesNotes::A A joint committeejoint committee, another , another special committee, is made up special committee, is made up of members from both houses of members from both houses and works on an assigned and works on an assigned topic or issue.topic or issue.

A member of the General A member of the General Assembly may serve on Assembly may serve on several committees. several committees. Committee chair persons Committee chair persons decide when their committees decide when their committees will meet. They choose the will meet. They choose the order in which assigned bills order in which assigned bills will be discussed and when will be discussed and when bills will be voted on.bills will be voted on.

House House of of Reps.Reps.

SenateSenate