Mississippi State Legislature

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Mississippi State Legislature


General Information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   None
2012 session start:   January 3, 2012
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:   Tate Reeves (R)
House Speaker:  Philip Gunn (R)
Majority Leader:   TBA (R) (House)
Minority leader:   Tyrone Ellis (D) (House)
Structure
Members:  52 (Senate), 122 (House)
Length of term:   4 years (Senate), 4 years (House)
Authority:   Art V, Mississippi Constitution
Salary:   $10,000./year + per diem
Last Election:  November 7, 2007
52 seats (Senate)
122 seats (House)
Next election:  November 8, 2011
52 seats (Senate)
122 seats (House)
Redistricting:  Mississippi Legislature has control

Contents

The Mississippi State Legislature is the state legislature of the state of Mississippi. The bicameral legislature is comprised of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and the upper Mississippi State Senate, with 52 members. Both Representatives and Senators serve four-year terms without term limits.

The Legislature convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi.

The rights, responsibilities, privileges and expectations of the state legislature are defined in Article 4 of the Mississippi Constitution.

Sessions

Article IV of the Mississippi Constitution establishes when the Legislature is to meet. Section 36 of Article IV states that the legislature is to convene in regular session on the Tuesday following the first Monday in January of each year. Section 36 limits the length of regular sessions to ninety calendar days, except for once every four years when the regular session can last up to one hundred twenty-five calendar days. The most recent one hundred twenty-five day session was in 2008, and the next session of this kind will be in 2012.

Section 36 also allows the Legislature to extend its sessions for thirty days by a two-thirds vote of both legislative houses. There is no limit on the number of times a session can be extended in this way. In 2010, the Legislature extended its session once, moving the date of adjournment from April 3rd to May 3rd.

Article V of the Mississippi Constitution gives the Governor of Mississippi the power to call the Legislature into extraordinary session. Section 121 of Article V enumerates this power.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

In 2012, the Legislature will be in session from January 3 through May 5.

Major issues

Republicans control the legislature and governorship for the first time since Reconstruction. They will have to deal with a spending gap of nearly $1 billion and are expected to consider cuts to education, public health, public safety, and nursing homes for veterans. New state legislative maps will also be on the agenda.[1]

2011

In 2011, the Legislature was in session from January 4 through April 7. [2]

2010

In 2010, the Legislature was originally scheduled to be in session from January 5th to April 3rd. However, the session was extended to May 3rd. Additionally, a special session was held that convened on April 22nd and adjourned on April 23rd.[3]

Legislators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2011, members of the Mississippi legislature are paid $10,000/year. Per diem is $109/day tied to the federal rate.[4]

The $10,000/year that Mississippi legislators are paid as of 2011 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $91/day in 2007 to $116/day in 2010 and decreased to $109/day in 2011.[5][6]

When sworn in

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

Mississippi legislators assume office the first day of the regular session of the year following election. The Constitution requires the Legislature to convene yearly on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January.

Senate

The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature. The Senate is composed of 52 Senators representing an equal amount of constituent districts. Each member represents an average of 57,063 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[7] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 54,705.[8] Senators serve four-year terms with no term limits.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

According to the current Mississippi Constitution, the Senate is to be composed of no more than 52 members elected for four-year terms. Elections to the Senate are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November during the state general elections.


Party As of February 2012
     Democratic Party 22
     Republican Party 32
Total 52


House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi State Legislature. According to the state constitution of 1890, this body is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for four-year terms (Section 34). To qualify as a member of the house candidates must (a) be at least 21 years old, (b) have been a resident of Mississippi for at least four years, and (c) have resided in the district in which he/she is running for at least two years (Sections 41, 44 and 45). Current state law provides for the maximum number of members. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Each member represents an average of 24,322 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[9] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 23,317.[10]

The Constitution also specifies that the legislature shall meet for 125 days every four years and 90 days in all other years (Section 36 of Article 4).


Party As of February 2012
     Democratic Party 59
     Republican Party 63
Total 122


Joint legislative committees

External links

References

  1. ↑ Clarion Ledger, "State budget decisions all up to GOP," January 2, 2012
  2. ↑ Mississippi State Legislature
  3. ↑ 2010 session dates for Mississippi Legislature
  4. ↑ http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=22490 Nation Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
  5. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
  6. ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
  7. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  8. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
  9. ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
  10. ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
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