Vermont State Legislature

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Vermont State Legislature
General Information
Type:	State legislature
Term limits:	None
2012 session start:	January 3, 2012
Website:	Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:	John Campbell (D)
House Speaker:	Shap Smith (D)
Majority Leader:	Bill Carris (D) (Senate), Lucy Leriche (D) (House)
Minority leader:	William Doyle (R) (Senate), Donald Turner, Jr. (R) (House)
Structure
Members:	30 (Senate), 150 (House)
Length of term:	2 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:	Section 7 of the Legislative Department of the Vermont Constitution
Salary:	$636/week + per diem
Elections
Last Election:	November 2, 2010 30 seats (Senate) 150 seats (House)
Next election:	November 4, 2012 30 seats (Senate) 150 seats (House)
Redistricting:	Vermont Legislature has control

The Vermont General Assembly is the state legislature of Vermont. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the title of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself [1]. The Legislature is a bicameral assembly, consisting of the 150-member Vermont House of Representatives and the 30-member Vermont State Senate.

Members of the House are elected by single and two-member districts. 66 districts choose one member, and 42 choose two, with the term of service being two years. The Senate includes 30 Senators, elected by 13 multi-member districts.

The Vermont General Assembly meets at the State House in Montpelier.

Sessions

The Vermont State Legislature meets for biennial sessions starting on odd numbered years on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January, pursuant to Section 7 of the Legislative Department of the Vermont Constitution. The opening date for even numbered years is established by the sitting legislature during the year prior.

2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

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

Major issues

The two main issues facing the legislature are dealing with an estimated $75 million budget gap and finding ways to pay for recovery from Tropical Storm Irene.^[1]

2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the Legislature was in session from January 5 through mid May. ^[2]

2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

In 2010, the Legislature was in session from January 5 to May 12.^[3]

Elections

Legislative elections are held in November of every even-numbered year. Representatives and Senators serve two-year terms. One must be a resident of the state for the two years, and of the legislative district for the one year, immediately preceding the election in order to qualify for either house.

Leadership

The House is headed by the Speaker of the House, while the Senate is headed by the State's Lieutenant Governor as the Senate President. The Senate President has only a casting vote. More often, the Senate is presided over by the President Pro Tempore, or temporary President.

Functions

The Legislature is empowered to make law, subject to the Governor's power to veto a bill. However, the veto may be overridden by the Legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in favor of overriding in each House.

The Legislature has the sole power to propose amendments to the Vermont Constitution. An amendment must originate in the Senate, where it must receive a two-thirds vote. After passing the Senate, it must also receive a majority vote in the House. Any amendment that passes both Houses, must be repassed by majority votes, after a newly elected legislature is seated; again, first in the Senate, then in the House. The proposed amendment must then be passed by a majority of the state's voters at a referendum. Only every other Senate session may initiate the amendment process. Thus, Senates elected in off-year (i.e. non-Presidential) elections may initiate amendments, but not Senates elected during Presidential elections. (Vermont Constitution, Chapter 2, Section 72)

The role of third parties

The General Assembly is notable for being the only state legislature in the United States with a significant third-party presence. Six members of the House belong to the Vermont Progressive Party, a center-left party similar to the Social Democratic Party of Germany or the Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP). Several other parties that have won legislative seats include the Green Party, and the Liberty Union Party, based largely on the philosophy of Eugene V. Debs. Some members of the smaller parties caucus with members of the Vermont Democratic Party.

Senate

The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one six-member district. Each member represents an average of 20,858 residents, as of the 2010 Census.^[4] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 20,294.^[5] There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve.

As in other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate is reserved with special functions such as confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, the state cabinet, commissions, boards, and electing members to the Vermont Supreme Court.

Senators are elected from a total of 13 single and multi-member Senate districts. The districts more or less correspond to the boundaries of the state's 14 counties with adjustments to ensure equality of representation. Two small counties (Essex and Orleans) are combined into one district. Each district elects between 1 and 6 senators depending on population.

In addition, Vermont is one of the 14 states where the upper house of its state legislature serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the normal four-year term as in the majority of states.

Current make-up

Party		As of February 2012
	Democratic Party	20
	Republican Party	8
	Vermont Progressive Party	2
Total		30

House of Representatives

The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member constituencies. Each member represents an average of 4,172 residents, as of the 2010 Census.^[6] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 4,059.^[7] Representatives are elected to a two year term without term limits.

Party		As of February 2012
	Democratic Party	94
	Republican Party	47
	Vermont Progressive Party	5
	Independent	3
	Vacancy	1
Total		150

Legislators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

As of 2011, members of the Vermont Legislature are paid $604.79 per a vote (to reduce the salary by 5% this biennium below the statutory level). Legislators who are non-commuters receive $101/day for lodging and $61/day for meals. Commuters receive $61/day for meals/mileage.^[8]

The $604.79/vote that Vermont legislators are paid as of 2011 is a decrease from the $636.62/week they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and $600.78/week in 2007. Per diem has increased from $88/day lodging and $51/day for meals in 2007 to $101/day lodging and $61/day meals in 2010 and is the same in 2011.^[9][10]

When sworn in

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

Vermont legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January.

Standing committees

In its 2011-2012 session, the Vermont State Legislature has thirteen joint standing committees:

• Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules
• Joint Fiscal
• Joint Rules
• Legislative Council
• Corrections Oversight
• Energy
• Government Accountability
• Health Access Oversight
• Judicial Retention
• Judicial Rules
• Legislative Information Technology
• Mental Health Oversight
• Transportation Oversight

External links

• Vermont General Assembly
• The Vermont Constitution
• Government of Vermont portal
• Wikipedia: Vermont General Assembly

References

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