Colorado General Assembly

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Colorado General Assembly


General Information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   8 years in the Senate, 4 terms (8 years) in the House
2012 session start:   January 11, 2012
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Brandon Shaffer, (D)
House Speaker:  Frank McNulty (R)
Majority Leader:   John Morse (D) (Senate),
Amy Stephens (R) (House)
Minority leader:   Mike Kopp (R) (Senate),
Sal Pace (D) (House)
Structure
Members:  35 (Senate), 65 (House)
Length of term:   4 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:   Art V, Colorado Constitution
Salary:   $30,000/year + per diem
Last Election:  November 2, 2010
17 seats (Senate)
65 seats (House)
Next election:  November 6, 2012
18 seats (Senate)
65 seats (House)
Redistricting:  Colorado Reapportionment Commission has control

Contents

The Colorado State Legislature is known as the Colorado General Assembly. It is a bicameral legislature, composed of the Colorado House of Representatives and the Colorado State Senate.

General legislative elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year. The entire House is elected in each general election. Senators are elected in two classes such that, as nearly as possible, one-half of the senators are elected in each general election.

In 2010, the General Assembly convened its regular session on January 13th and adjourned on May 12th.[1]

Sessions

Article V of the Colorado Constitution establishes when the General Assembly is to be in session. Section 7 of Article V states that the Assembly is to convene its regular session no later than the second Wednesday of January of each year. Regular sessions are not to exceed one hundred twenty calendar days.

Section 7 also states that the Governor of Colorado can convene special sessions of the General Assembly. Special sessions can also be convened by a two-thirds vote of the members of both legislative houses.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the General Assembly will be in session from January 11 to May 9.

Major issues

Republicans and Democrats have both stressed that job creation and improving the economy are at the top of their agendas. Meanwhile, they will have to deal with an estimated $500 million budget deficit. Additional issues include fracking rules for oil and gas drilling and addressing a voter-approved constitutional amendment giving tax breaks to seniors that includes a provision allowing the legislature to suspend it.[2]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the General Assembly was in session from January 12 through May 11.

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the General Assembly was in session from January 13th to May 12th.

Role in the State Budget

Main article: Colorado state budget

By November 1st of every year, the General Assembly of Colorado receives an annual budget proposal from the Governor. The annual budget proposal is for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1st. The General Assembly then revises this budget over the course of the next couple of months. In May, the General Assembly votes on a budget.[3]

The General Assembly of Colorado has struggled to pass balanced budgets amidst one bad economic forecast after another. The Colorado Generally Assembly had just ended its session on May 6, 2009 having addressed a $1.454 billion, two-year shortfall[4] when a subsequent economic forecast on June 22, 2009 showed a new state deficit well over $300 million.[5] Bill Ritter announced on August 18, 2009 his plan to close the latest $320 million budget gap for the current FY 2010 (July 1, 2009-June 30, 2010).[6]

Legislators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2010, members of the Colorado legislature are paid $30,000 per year. They are also given per diem of $45 per day for members living in the Denver metro area, and $99 per day for all others.[7]

The $30,000 that Colorado legislators are paid as of 2010 is the same that they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. The per diem is also the same.[8]

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Colorado legislators assume office on the first day of the first legislative session following the election (example January 12 of next year for the upcoming elections.)

Senate

The Colorado Senate is the upper house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Colorado. It is composed of 35 members elected from single-member districts. Each member represents an average of 143,691 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[9] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 122,893.[10] Senators are elected to 4-year terms, and are limited to 2 consecutive terms in office.


Party As of February 2012
     Democratic Party 20
     Republican Party 15
Total 35


House of Representatives

The Colorado House of Representatives is the lower house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Colorado. The House is composed of 65 members. Each member represents an average of 77,372 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[11] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 66,173.[12] Representatives are elected to 2-year terms, and are limited to 4 consecutive terms in office.

Party As of February 2012
     Democratic Party 32
     Republican Party 33
Total 65


Standing joint committees

The Colorado General Assembly has six joint standing committees.

References

  1. ↑ Session dates for Colorado legislature, 2010
  2. ↑ Denver Post, "Colorado legislature faces key issues," January 8, 2012
  3. ↑ National Association of State Budget Offices, 2008 Budget Processes in the States, Pages 4-5
  4. ↑ The Capstone Group, “2009 Session Summary,” May 6, 2009
  5. ↑ University of Denver, Center for Colorado’s Economic Future, “Colorado’s State Budget Tsunami,” July 2009
  6. ↑ Gov. Ritter’s Office, “Press Release: $320 M Budget-Balancing Plan,” August 18, 2009
  7. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  8. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  9. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  10. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  11. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  12. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states

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