Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directly elected by constituents of their district. The Constitution of Georgia vests all legislative power with the General Assembly. Both houses have similar powers, though each has unique duties as well. For example, the origination of appropriations bills only occurs in the House, while the Senate is tasked with confirmation of the governor's appointments.
The General Assembly meets in the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta.
History
The General Assembly, which is the legislative branch of the state's government, was created in 1777 during the American Revolution—it is older than the United States Congress. During its existence the Assembly has moved four different times when the state capital changed its location. The first location of the Assembly was Savannah, then Augusta and Louisville, moving from there to Milledgeville, and finally to Atlanta in 1868.The General Assembly in Savannah
By January 1777 Savannah had become the capital of Georgia—when the former colony declared independence from Britain. The legislature, then a unicameral body, met there in 1777–1778—retreating to Augusta when the British captured the city. They were not in Augusta long before it was captured by the British in 1779. Augusta changed hands three times during the war, finally returning to American possession in July 1781. They stayed in Augusta until the British left Savannah in May 1782 and the legislature returned to the capital.Move to Augusta
Between 1783 and 1785, the Georgia General Assembly met in both Savannah and Augusta—moving from there when tensions arose between the two cities, causing then Governor Lyman Hall to officially reside in both places. On February 22, 1785, the General Assembly held its last meeting in Savannah—Augusta had become the official capital due to pressure from the general populace to have their capital in the center of the state.On to Louisville
As the population dispersed—shifting the geographic center, it was determined that the state's capital needed to move as well. A commission was appointed by the legislature in 1786 to find a suitable location that was central to the new demography. The commission recommended Louisville, which would become Georgia's first planned capital and would hold her first capitol building. Due to the fact that the capital would have to be built from the ground up, and because of numerous construction delays, it took a decade to build the city. The name Louisville was chosen by the General Assembly in honor of King Louis XVI for France's aid during the Revolutionary War.The new state house, a two-story 18th century Gregorian building of red brick, was completed in 1796. The Legislature designated Louisville the "permanent seat" of Georgia's government. Yet, further western expansion created the need for another new state capital. The capitol building was purchased by Jefferson County and used as a courthouse, but the building had to be torn down because it became unsound. A plaque marks the location of the old Capitol.
The Assembly arrives in Milledgeville
In 1804, the state government decided that yet another capital, would be needed. Subsequently, an act was passed authorizing construction of a new capital city on in the area currently known as Baldwin County. The city was named Milledgeville in honor of Governor John Milledge.The new Capitol took two years to complete and was a brick construction in the Gothic Revival style. The legislature convened The Georgia Secession Convention of 1861 in the Milledgeville statehouse on January 16, 1861. On January 19, delegates voted for Georgia to secede from the Union—208 in favor with 89 against—drafting a new constitution, and declaring the state an independent Republic.
File:Georgias-secession-convention.jpg|thumb|250px|Georgia's Secession Convention historical marker, erected in 2011 for the by the Georgia Historical Society.
On January 21, Assembly delegates celebrated their decision by a public signing of the Ordinance of Secession outside of the State Capitol. Later that year, the legislature also voted to send $100,000 to South Carolina for "the relief of Charlestonians" who suffered a disastrous fire in December 1861. With General Sherman's approach, the members of the General Assembly adjourned in fall 1864, reconvening briefly in Macon in 1865. As the American Civil War came to a close with the federal government in military control of Georgia, the legislature reconvened at the Capitol in Milledgeville.
Atlanta
In 1867, Major General John Pope, military governor of Georgia, called for an assembly in Atlanta to hold a constitutional convention. At that time Atlanta officials moved once again to have the city designated as Georgia's state capital, donating the property where Atlanta's first city hall was constructed. The constitutional convention agreed and the people voted to ratify the decision on April 20, 1868. The Georgia General Assembly first convened in Atlanta on July 4, 1868.In 1884, the legislature appropriated one million dollars to build a new State Capitol. Construction began October 26, 1884, and the building was completed and occupied on June 15, 1889.
Notably, the dome atop the capitol building is plated with real gold, most of which came from the Dahlonega, Georgia area. The roofing gives rise to local colloquialisms—for instance, if one knowledgeable Georgian wanted to ask another what the General Assembly was doing, he might ask what was happening "under the gold dome."
Organization and procedure of the General Assembly
The General Assembly meets in regular session on the second Monday in January for no longer than 40 legislative days each year. Neither the House nor the Senate can adjourn during a regular session for longer than three days or meet in any place other than the state capitol without the other house's consent. The legislative session usually lasts from January until late March or early April. When the General Assembly is not sitting, legislative committees may still meet to discuss specific issues. In cases of emergency, the Governor can summon a special session of the Assembly. Days in special session do not count towards the 40-day constitutional limit.Committees
Both the House and Senate are organized into various legislative committees. All bills introduced in the General Assembly will be referred to at least one committee. Committee chairs usually come from the majority party. Committee chairs determine the business of the committee, including which bills get a hearing.Rules of procedure, employees and interim committees
Each house of the General Assembly may determine procedural rules governing its own employees. The General Assembly as a whole, or each house separately, has the ability to create interim committees.At the beginning of each two-year term, the House elects a speaker, who is always from the majority party. Unlike in the federal House of Representatives, the speaker usually presides over sittings of the House. There is also a speaker pro tempore, who presides in the absence of the speaker.
The Lieutenant Governor of Georgia is the ex officio president of the State Senate. The lieutenant governor is elected for a four-year term in a statewide vote along with the governor. The lieutenant governor does not have the power to introduce legislation.
Oath of office
Before taking office senators and representatives must swear an oath—stipulated by state law.Legislative procedure
A majority of the members to which each house is entitled constitutes a quorum to transact business. A smaller number may adjourn from day to day and compel the presence of its absent members. In order for a bill to become law, it must be passed by both chambers of the General Assembly, and receive the governor's signature. In each chamber, the number of votes required to pass a bill is determined according to the number of seats in the chamber, not merely the number of votes cast. Therefore, a bill must receive 91 votes in the House and 29 votes in the Senate, regardless of the number of legislators voting. In the case of a tie, the presiding officer of each chamber may cast the deciding vote.Some motions require more than an absolute majority to pass. A resolution to amend the state constitution, for instance, requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
All senators and representatives are entitled to introduce bills and resolutions. Bills are intended to have the force of law, while resolutions may or may not have any practical effect. Bills and resolutions are referred to a legislative committee by the presiding officer as soon as they are introduced. he presiding officer has discretion in referring a bill to any committee, although the chamber may vote to move a bill to a different committee.
Committee chairs determine which bills will be heard in committee. Bills that do not get a committee hearing cannot proceed, and the majority of bills die in committee this way. Because most committee chairs are from the majority party, bills that are introduced by members of the majority are much more likely to be heard. The vast majority of legislation considered by the Assembly is introduced by the majority party. Committees will hear testimony from a bill's sponsor, as well as experts in the public and private sectors and concerned citizens. Members of the committee may ask questions of the sponsor. Committees usually amend bills under their consideration; an amended version of a bill is known as a "substitute." Once the committee is done debating, it will vote on the bill, as well as any proposed amendments. If the bill is approved, it is transmitted to the Committee on Rules.
Both the House and Senate have a Rules committee. The House Committee on Rules meets early in the morning on most legislative days to determine which bills will get a floor vote that day. Power in House Rules is highly centralized, and the committee usually acts as a rubber stamp for decisions already made by the chairperson, the speaker, and even the governor. The Senate Committee on Rules meets after each legislative day, to determine the agenda for the next legislative day.
For the first 28 days in a legislative session, the House and Senate only consider legislation introduced by their own members. After the 28th day, bills passed by one chamber will "cross over" to the other, hence why the day is known as "Crossover Day." After Crossover Day, no new bills will be considered. If a bill, after having crossed over to the other chamber, is amended in committee on the floor, it will have to return to the original chamber for final approval. Further amendments may be made, and the bill will move back and forth until both chambers agree. If the two chambers cannot agree on the final version of a bill by the end of the session, the bill is not passed.