This is a list of the legislatures of the U.S. state of Colorado. The Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Colorado met from the creation of the territory in 1861 until statehood on August 1, 1876. The General Assembly of the State of Colorado has convened many times since statehood.
The Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Colorado did not number its legislatures; rather, it numbered its sessions, which occurred occasionally from 1861 to 1876.
Session | Location(s) | Session began | Session ended | House journal link | Territorial Council journal link |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Regular Session | Denver | September 9, 1861 | November 7, 1861 | ||
Second Session | Colorado City Denver | July 7, 1862 | August 15, 1862 | ||
Third Session | Golden City Denver | February 1, 1864 | March 11, 1864 | ||
Fourth Session | Golden City | January 2, 1865 | February 10, 1865 | ||
Fifth Session | Golden City Denver | January 1, 1866 | February 9, 1866 | ||
Sixth Session | Golden City | December 3, 1866 | January 11, 1867 | ||
Seventh Session | Golden City Denver | December 2, 1867 | January 10, 1868 | ||
Eighth Session | Denver | January 3, 1870 | February 11, 1870 | ||
Ninth Session | Denver | January 1, 1872 | February 9, 1872 | ||
Tenth Session | Denver | January 5, 1874 | February 13, 1874 | (not available) | |
Eleventh Session | Denver | January 3, 1876 | February 11, 1876 |
For a brief time in 1865, Colorado had an approved state constitution, and selected a legislature and other elected officials. The legislature briefly convened, believing that their statehood had been approved. However, Andrew Johnson vetoed the corresponding enabling act, and the body that met as the state legislature was disbanded. This legislature met from December 12 through December 19, 1865. [1]
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The state legislature has met in Denver, Colorado since its founding.[ citation needed ] "The first legislative session met from November 1, 1876, through March 20, 1877, and the succeeding sessions met every two years in the odd numbered years: 1879, 1881, 1883, etc., until 1950." [2]
"Colorado general elections are held on the first Tuesday, following the first Monday in November in every even-numbered year, with the exception of the first election in October 1876. Since 1876, representatives have been elected every two years and senators have been elected every four years on a staggered basis." [2]
General Assembly | Session | Session began | Session ended | House journal link | Senate journal link | Last election [2] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st [3] | November 1, 1876 [2] | March 20, 1877 [2] | October 1876 [2] | |||
2nd | January 1, 1879 | February 9, 1879 | November 1878 | |||
3rd | January 5, 1881 | February 13, 1881 | November 1880 | |||
4th | Regular session | January 3, 1883 | February 11, 1883 | November 1882 | ||
Joint session | January 17, 1883 | February 27, 1883 | (N/A) | |||
5th | January 7, 1885 [4] | November 1884 | ||||
6th | January 5, 1887 | April 4, 1887 | November 1886 | |||
7th | 1889 | November 1888 | ||||
8th | 1891 | November 1890 | ||||
9th | 1893 | November 1892 | ||||
10th | 1895 | November 1894 | ||||
11th | 1897 | November 1896 | ||||
12th | 1899 [5] | November 1898 | ||||
13th | 1901 | November 1900 | ||||
14th | 1903 | November 1902 | ||||
15th | 1905 | November 1904 | ||||
16th | 1907 | November 1906 | ||||
17th | 1909 | November 1908 | ||||
18th | 1911 | November 1910 | ||||
19th | 1913 | November 1912 | ||||
20th | 1915 | November 1914 | ||||
21st | 1917 | November 1916 | ||||
22nd | 1919 | November 1918 | ||||
23rd | 1921 | November 1920 | ||||
24th | 1923 | November 1922 | ||||
25th | 1925 | November 1924 | ||||
26th | 1927 | November 1926 | ||||
27th | 1929 | November 1928 | ||||
28th | 1931 | November 1930 | ||||
29th | 1933 | November 1932 | ||||
30th | 1935 | November 1934 | ||||
31st | 1937 | November 1936 | ||||
32nd | 1939 | November 1938 | ||||
33rd | 1941 | November 1940 | ||||
34th | 1942 | |||||
35th | 1944 | November 1942 | ||||
36th | 1947 | November 1946 | ||||
37th | 1949 | November 1948 | ||||
38th | 1951 | November 1950 | ||||
39th | 1953 | November 1952 | ||||
40th | 1955 | November 1954 | ||||
41st | 1957 | November 1956 | ||||
42nd | 1959 | November 1958 | ||||
43rd | 1961 | November 1960 | ||||
44th | 1963 | November 1962 | ||||
45th | 1965 | November 1964 | ||||
46th | 1967 | November 1966 | ||||
47th | 1969 | November 1968 | ||||
48th | 1971 | November 1970 | ||||
49th | 1973 | November 1972 | ||||
50th | 1975 | November 1974 | ||||
51st | 1977 | November 1976 | ||||
52nd | 1979 | November 1978 | ||||
53rd | 1981 | November 1980 | ||||
54th | 1983 | November 1982 | ||||
55th | 1985 | November 1984 | ||||
56th | 1987 | November 1986 | ||||
57th | 1989 | November 1988 | ||||
58th | 1991 | November 1990 | ||||
59th | 1993 | November 1992 | ||||
60th | 1995 | November 1994 | ||||
61st | 1997 | November 1996 | ||||
62nd | 1999 | November 1998 | ||||
63rd | 2001 | November 2000 | ||||
64th | 2003 | November 2002 | ||||
65th | 2005 | November 2004 | ||||
66th | 2007 | November 2006 | ||||
67th [3] | First Regular Session | January 7, 2009 | May 6, 2009 | November 2008 | ||
Second Regular Session | January 13, 2010 | May 12, 2010 | ||||
68th | First Regular Session | January 12, 2011 | May 11, 2011 | November 2010 | ||
Second Regular Session | January 11, 2012 | May 9, 2012 | ||||
First Extraordinary Session | May 14, 2012 | May 16, 2012 | ||||
69th | First Regular Session | January 9, 2013 | May 8, 2013 | November 2012 | ||
Second Regular Session | January 8, 2014 | May 7, 2014 | ||||
70th | First Regular Session | January 7, 2015 | May 6, 2015 | November 2014: Senate | ||
Second Regular Session | January 13, 2016 | May 11, 2016 | ||||
71st | First Regular Session | January 11, 2017 | May 10, 2017 | November 2016: House, Senate | ||
First Extraordinary Session | October 2, 2017 | October 3, 2017 | (None found) | |||
Second Regular Session | January 10, 2018 | May 9, 2018 | ||||
72nd [6] | First Regular Session | January 4, 2019 | May 3, 2019 | November 2018: House, Senate | ||
Second Regular Session | January 8, 2020 | June 15, 2020 | ||||
First Extraordinary Session | November 30, 2020 | December 2, 2020 | ||||
73rd | 2021 | November 2020: House, Senate | ||||
74th | 2023 | November 2022: House, Senate | ||||
75th | 2025 | November 2024: House, Senate | ||||
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the 38th State of Colorado.
The Colorado State Senate is the upper house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Colorado. It is composed of 35 members elected from single-member districts, with each district having a population of about 123,000 as of the 2000 census. Senators are elected to four-year terms, and are limited to two consecutive terms in office. Senators who are term-limited become eligible to run again after a one-term respite.
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators plus the Lieutenant Governor acting as president. The state is divided into 49 legislative districts, each of which elect one senator and two representatives.
The Great Seal of the State of Colorado is an adaptation of the territorial seal which was adopted by the First Territorial Assembly on November 6, 1861. The only changes made to the territorial seal design being the substitution of the words "State of Colorado" and the figures "1876" for the corresponding inscriptions on the territorial seal. The first General Assembly of the State of Colorado approved the adoption of the state seal on March 15, 1877. The Colorado Secretary of State alone is authorized to affix the Great Seal of Colorado to any document whatsoever.
The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 state representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 state senators. There are no term limits for either chamber.
The Constitution of the State of Colorado is the foundation of the laws and government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The Colorado State Constitution was drafted on March 14, 1876; approved by Colorado voters on July 1, 1876; and took effect upon the statehood of Colorado on August 1, 1876. As of 2020, the constitution has been amended at least 166 times. The Constitution of Colorado derives its authority from the sovereignty of the people. As such, the people of Colorado reserved specific powers in governing Colorado directly; in addition to providing for voting for Governor, state legislators, and judges, the people of Colorado have reserved initiative of laws and referendum of laws enacted by the legislature to themselves, provided for recall of office holders, and limit tax increases beyond set amounts without explicit voter approval, and must explicitly approve any change to the constitution, often with a 55% majority. The Colorado state constitution is one of the longest in the United States.
Oregon's Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory. The upper chamber Council and lower chamber House of Representatives first met in July 1849; they served as the region's legislative body until Oregon became a state in February 1859, when they were replaced by the bicameral Oregon State Legislature.
The Attorney General of the State of Colorado is the chief legal officer for the U.S. State of Colorado and the head of the Colorado Department of Law, a principal department of the Colorado state government. It is an elected position with a four-year term, and follows the same schedule as election of the governor. The incumbent Colorado Attorney General is Democrat Phil Weiser, who was elected in November 2018 to a four-year term that began on January 8, 2019.