Indiana General Assembly

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Indiana General Assembly


General Information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   None
2012 session start:   January 4, 2012
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:   David Long (R)
House Speaker:  Brian Bosma (R)
Majority Leader:   Connie Lawson (R) (Senate),
William Friend (R) (House)
Minority leader:   Vi Simpson (D) (Senate),
B. Patrick Bauer (D) (House)
Structure
Members:  50 (Senate), 100 (House)
Length of term:   4 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:   Art 4, Indiana Constitution
Salary:   $22,616.46/year + per diem
Elections
Last Election:  November 2, 2010
25 seats (Senate)
100 seats (House)
Next election:  November 6, 2012
25 seats (Senate)
100 seats (House)
Redistricting:  Indiana Legislature has control

Contents

The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana State Senate. The state legislature meets in the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.

Sessions

Article 4 of the Indiana Constitution establishes when the General Assembly is to be in session. Section 9 of Article 4 states that the General Assembly will begin its regular session on the Tuesday following the second Monday in January of each year. However, Section 9 allows the starting state for the session to be changed by law. This has happened in Indiana in 2010, as the General Assembly's session convened on January 5th instead of the constitutionally designated date, which was January 12th. The session must adjourn by April 29 in odd numbered years and March 14 in even numbered years.[1]

Section 9 also gives the Governor of Indiana the power to call special sessions of the General Assembly.

Bills may be pre-filed in the Senate thirty days prior to the start of the session.[2] House filing begins on the opening day of the session.[3]

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the General Assembly will be in session from January 4 through March 14.

Major issues

Main issues include "Right-to-work" legislation, a statewide smoking ban, a tax raise to finance a mass transit system, and eliminating the state's inheritance tax.[4] The issue at the heart of the matter is "right-to-work" legislation that Republicans have long said would be their top priority in 2012. The legislation seeks to ban companies and unions from negotiating a contract that requires non-union members to pay union dues. Republicans argue the move would bring jobs to the state while Democrats say it will lead to lower wages.[5]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the General Assembly was in session from January 5 through April 29.

Session highlights

In the 2011 session, the Indiana legislature reduced the corporate income tax from 8.5 to 6.5 percent, spread over four years. [6]

Clerical error

On June 30, the state's largest agency, the Family and Social Services Administration, was accidentally eliminated, due to a major clerical error during the drafting of legislation related to the Family and Social Services Administration. The Administration helps more than a million people access Medicaid and food stamps in Indiana.[7]

According to the AP, "Senate Bill 331 was intended to repeal a provision already in law that would have automatically eliminated (the Family and Social Services Administration) - called a sunset. The sunset language was set for June 30. The bill that repealed the sunset provision went into effect July 1, so technically, FSSA was eliminated minutes before the bill intended to save it went into effect."[7]

The mistake was noticed days after the new law went into effect, and caught many welfare recipients and legislative leaders off guard. On July 7, Governor Mitch Daniels signed an executive order on Thursday, July 7, to correct the mistake.[7]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the General Assembly was in session from January 5th to March 12th.

Structure

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2010, members of the Indiana legislature are paid $22,616.46/year. Additionally, legislators receive $138/day per diem tied to the federal rate.[8]

The $22,660.46/year that Indiana legislators are paid as of 2010 is an increase over the $11,600/year they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $137/day in 2007 to $138/day in 2010.[9]

When sworn in

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

Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.


Role in state budget

Main article: Indiana state budget

By January of every other year, the General Assembly of Indiana receives an biennial budget proposal from the Governor. The biennial budget proposal is for the next two fiscal years, which begin on July 1st. The Legislature then revises this budget over the course of the next couple of months. The General Assembly votes on a budget. For a budget to pass, a majority of legislatures must vote in support of it [10]

Indiana's General Assembly has failed to pass balanced budgets, having to draw upon reserves in the process. Indiana saw 1st Quarter FY 2010 state revenues drop $254 million, 8%, below forecast as announced by [Mitch Daniels|Gov. Mitch Daniels] on October 8, 2009. State budget officials estimate the FY 2010 budget could have a $1 billion deficit by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2010 if the trend continues. "Thank goodness we have built up reserves. And thank goodness we didn't spend them, or lots of them, as some people wanted to do," said Gov. Daniels. The state ended the last fiscal year with $1.3 billion in reserves. About $300 million of those reserves are slated to be used in the current budget.[11]

Senate

The Indiana State Senate consists of 50 members elected to 4-year terms without term limits. Each member represents an average of 129,676 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[12] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 121,610.[13] The Lieutenant Governor, currently Becky Skillman, presides over the senate while it is in session and casts the deciding vote in the event of a tie. The current Senate Pro Tempore is Sen. David Long of Fort Wayne.


Party As of February 2012
     Democratic Party 13
     Republican Party 37
Total 50


House of Representatives

The Indiana House of Representatives consists of 100 members elected to 2-year terms without term limits. Each member represents an average of 64,838 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[14] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 60,805.[15]

Party As of February 2012
     Democratic Party 40
     Republican Party 60
Total 100


External links

References

  1. ↑ IN Legislature FAQ
  2. ↑ Senate Rule 42
  3. ↑ House Rule PART VIII.B.
  4. ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Lawmakers face rematch with 'thousand-pound gorilla'," January 3, 2012
  5. ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Rare joint hearing accelerates 'right to work' bill," January 6, 2012
  6. ↑ Stateline.org, States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes, June 15, 2011
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Stateline, Clerical error eliminates Indiana's largest state agency, July 11, 2011
  8. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  9. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  10. ↑ National Association of State Budget Offices, 2008 Budget Processes in the States
  11. ↑ Gov. Daniels Press Release, “First quarter revenues miss forecast by $254 million,” October 8, 2009
  12. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  13. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  14. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  15. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
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