Washington State Legislature
From Ballotpedia
| Washington State Legislature | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2012 session start: | January 9, 2012 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Brad Owen (D) |
| House Speaker: | Frank Chopp (D) |
| Majority Leader: | Lisa Brown (D) (Senate), Pat Sullivan (D) (House) |
| Minority leader: | Mike Hewitt (R) (Senate), Richard DeBolt (R) (House) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 49 (Senate), 98 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art II, Section 2, Washington Constitution |
| Salary: | $42,106/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 25 seats (Senate) 98 seats (House) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2012 24 seats (Senate) 98 seats (House) |
| Redistricting: | Washington State Redistricting Commission has control |
Contents |
The State Legislature meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia.
The legislature begins each legislative session annually on the second Monday in January. In odd-numbered years, such as when the state budget is debated upon, the State Legislature meets for 105 days, and in even-numbered years for 60 days. The Governor of Washington, if necessary, can call legislators in for a special session for a 30-day period at any period in the year. Legislators also can call themselves into special session by a two-thirds vote by both the House of Representatives and the State Senate.
Article II of the Washington State Constitution defines the powers, duties and privileges of the legislative branch of Washington's state government.
History
The Washington State Legislature traces its ancestry to the creation of the Washington Territory in 1853, following successful arguments from settlers north of the Columbia River to the U.S. federal government to legally separate from the Oregon Territory. The Washington Territorial Assembly, as the newly-created area's bicameral legislature, convened the following year. The legislature represented settlers from the Straits of Juan de Fuca to modern Montana.
Votes for women
From nearly the start of the territory, arguments over giving women the right to vote dogged legislative proceedings. While some legislators carried genuine concerns over women deserving the right to vote, most legislators pragmatically believed that giving women suffrage would entice more Eastern women to immigrate to the remote and sparsely populated territory. In 1854, only six years after the Seneca Falls Convention, the issue was brought to a vote by the legislature. Women's suffrage was defeated by a single vote.
A decade later, the Wyoming State Legislature would become the first body in the United States to grant women's suffrage in 1869.
The issue over female suffrage did not diminish. In 1883, the issue returned to the floor, this time with the Territorial Assembly successfully passing universal suffrage for women. It quickly became one of the most liberal voting laws in the nation, giving female African-American voters the voting franchise for the first time in the U.S.. However in 1887, the territorial Washington Supreme Court ruled the 1883 universal suffrage act as unconstitutional in Harland v. Washington. Another attempt by the legislature to regrant universal female suffrage was again overturned in 1888.
After two failed voter referenda in 1889 and 1898, the now-Washington State Legislature approved full female voting rights in 1910.
Statehood
With more than two decades of pressure on federal authorities to authorize statehood, on February 22, 1889, the U.S. Congress passed the Enabling Act, signed into law by outgoing President Grover Cleveland, authorizing the territories of Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana to form state governments. The Territorial Assembly set out to convene a constitutional convention to write a state constitution.
Following its successful passage by the legislature, Washington voters approved the new document on October 1. On November 11, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison authorized Washington to become the 42nd state of United States. It was the last West Coast state of the Continental U.S. to achieve statehood. The modern Washington State Legislature was created.
Sessions
Article II of the Washington Constitution establishes when the Legislature is to be in session. Section 12 of Article II allows the dates of regular sessions to be determined by statute. Current law calls for the legislature to meet on the second Monday in January.[1] Section 12 of the constitution limits the length of regular sessions to 105 days in odd-numbered years and 60 days in even-numbered years.
Section 12 also establishes rules for convening special sessions of the Legislature. It states that special sessions can be called by the Governor of Washington or by resolution of two-thirds of the members of each legislative house. Special sessions are not to exceed 30 days in length.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the Legislature will be in session from January 9 through March 8.
Major issues
Heading into the session the state faces a $1.5 billion budget gap. Additionally, Governor Chris Gregoire is pushing for a half-cent sales tax, while the legislature is considering a gas-tax increase to pay for roads and transportation related needs.[2]
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the Legislature was in session from January 10 through April 24. [3]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the Legislature was in regular session from January 11 to March 11. Additionally, the Legislature was in special session from March 15 to April 12 to deal with issues related to the economy and the state budget.[4][5]
Transparency
Records exemptions
The Washington state legislature is one of several states that exempts many of its own records from public disclosure. According to the state's Public Records Act, legislators are not required to reveal all their email correspondence and other internal communications to the public. Adam Kline, according to the Seattle Times, has expressed hostility toward the idea that these records should be public.[6],[7]
Television coverage
Debates within both the House and Senate, as well as committee meetings and other special events within or relating to the legislature are broadcast throughout Washington on TVW, the state public affairs network.
Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators. Each member represents an average of 137,236 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[8] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 120,288.[9]
Senators serve four years terms, without term limits. Senators are elected from the same legislative districts as House members, with each district electing two representatives but only one senator.
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the state senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.
Leadership of the Senate
The Lieutenant Governor of Washington serves as the President of the Senate, but only casts a vote if required to break a tie. In his or her absence, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate. The President Pro Tempore is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the entire Senate through a Senate Resolution. The President Pro Tempore is the chief leadership position in the Senate. The majority and minority leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.
| Party | As of February 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 27 | |
| Republican Party | 22 | |
| Total | 49 | |
House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, the legislature of the U.S. State of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives, two from each of Washington's 49 districts. All members of the House are elected to a two-year term without term limits. Each member represents an average of 68,618 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[10] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 60,144.[11]
Leadership of the House
The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the House.
| Party | As of February 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 55 | |
| Republican Party | 42 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | |
| Total | 98 | |
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2010, members of the Washington Legislature are paid $42,106/year. Legislators receive $90/day per diem.[12]
The $42,106/year that Washington legislators are paid as of 2010 is an increase over the $36,311/year they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem is the same.[13]
When sworn in
Washington legislators assume office the first day of session.
Joint Committees
The Washington State Legislature has seven standing committees:
- Joint Administrative Rules Review Committee, Washington State Legislature
- Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, Washington State Legislature
- Economic Development & International Relations Committee, Washington State Legislature
- Energy Supply & Energy Conservation Committee, Washington State Legislature
- Trade Policy Committee, Washington State Legislature
- Mental Health Services and Financing Committee, Washington State Legislature
- Joint Transportation Committee, Washington State Legislature
External links
References
- ↑ WA Legislature website
- ↑ The Olympian, "A big factor in state legislative session: Fall, spring elections," January 7, 2012
- ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
- ↑ 2010 session convening dates for Washington legislature
- ↑ 2010 session adjourning dates for Washington legislature
- ↑ Open Records, "The Washington state legislature…open? Not so much", May 18, 2009
- ↑ Seattle Times, "Will Legislature open its own records?", May 11, 2009
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
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