South Carolina General Assembly | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
History | |
Founded | 1753 |
Leadership | |
Structure | |
Seats | 170 voting members: 46 Senators 124 Representatives |
Senate political groups | Majority
Minority
|
House political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Elections | |
Last Senate election | 5 November 2024 |
Last House election | 5 November 2024 |
Next Senate election | November 7, 2028 |
Next House election | November 3, 2026 |
Meeting place | |
South Carolina State House Columbia | |
Website | |
scstatehouse.gov | |
Constitution | |
Constitution of South Carolina |
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. All together, the General Assembly consists of 170 members. The legislature convenes at the State House in Columbia.
Prior to the 1964 federal Reynolds v. Sims decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, each county doubled as a legislative district, with each county electing one senator and at least one representative. Moreover, each county's General Assembly delegation also doubled as its county council, as the state constitution made no provision for local government.
The "one man, one vote" provision of Reynolds v. Sims [2] caused district lines to cross county lines, causing legislators to be on multiple county councils. This led to the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1975, which created county councils that were independent of the General Assembly. However, the General Assembly still retains considerable authority over local government. As a result, the legislature still devotes considerable time to local matters, and county legislative delegations still handle many matters that are handled by county governments in the rest of the country. [3]
There are 124 members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, who are elected every two years, and the South Carolina Senate has 46 members, elected every four years concurrent to the presidential election. For both houses, there are no term limits. The General Assembly meets in joint session to elect judges, with all 170 members having an equal vote in such elections.
The main role of the South Carolina General Assembly is to pass laws "as the common good may require." [4] In order for a bill to become law, both the Senate and House of Representatives must vote to pass the bill by a simple majority. Then the bill must be sent to the governor. If the governor vetoes the bill, both houses can either sustain the veto or override the veto. Veto overrides require a two-thirds majority. Once he receives the bill, if the governor neither signs nor vetoes the bill, it becomes law after five days, Sundays excluded. [5]
According to the South Carolina Constitution, no person may serve as a senator who: [6]
According to the South Carolina Constitution, no person may serve as a representative who: [7]
South Carolina Senate officers | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Party |
President of the Senate | Thomas C. Alexander | Republican |
Majority Leader | A. Shane Massey | Republican |
Minority Leader | Brad Hutto | Democratic |
South Carolina House of Representatives officers | ||
---|---|---|
Position | Name | Party |
Speaker | Murrell Smith | Republican |
Speaker pro tempore | Tommy Pope | Republican |
Majority Leader | Davey Hiott | Republican |
Minority Leader | J. Todd Rutherford | Democratic |
Year [a] | Senate Majority | House Majority | Governor Control |
---|---|---|---|
1868 | Republican | Republican | Republican |
1870 | |||
1872 | |||
1874 | |||
1876 | Democratic | Democratic | |
1878 | Democratic | ||
1880 | |||
1882 | |||
1884 | |||
1886 | |||
1888 | |||
1890 | |||
1892 | |||
1894 | |||
1896 | |||
1898 | |||
1900 | |||
1902 | |||
1904 | |||
1906 | |||
1908 | |||
1910 | |||
1912 | |||
1914 | |||
1916 | |||
1918 | |||
1920 | |||
1922 | |||
1924 | |||
1926 | |||
1930 | |||
1934 | |||
1938 | |||
1942 | |||
1946 | |||
1950 | |||
1954 | |||
1958 | |||
1962 | |||
1966 | |||
1970 | |||
1974 | Republican | ||
1978 | Democratic | ||
1982 | |||
1986 | Republican | ||
1990 | |||
1994 | Republican | ||
1998 | Republican | Democratic | |
2002 | Republican | ||
2006 | |||
2010 | |||
2014 | |||
2018 | |||
2022 | |||
2024 | |||
2026 | TBD |
A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto powers are also found at other levels of government, such as in state, provincial or local government, and in international bodies.
The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide executive officers, who manage other state government agencies. The governor works out of the Indiana Statehouse and holds official functions at the Indiana Governor's Residence in the state capital of Indianapolis.
The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. The name "General Court" is a holdover from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, when the colonial assembly, in addition to making laws, sat as a judicial court of appeals. Before the adoption of the state constitution in 1780, it was called the Great and General Court, but the official title was shortened by John Adams, author of the state constitution. It is a bicameral body. The upper house is the Massachusetts Senate which is composed of 40 members. The lower body, the Massachusetts House of Representatives, has 160 members; until 1978, the state house had 240 members. It meets in the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill in Boston.
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives, and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives. Members of both houses serve four-year terms. Each house elects its own officers, judges the qualifications and election of its own members, establishes rules for the conduct of its business, and may punish or expel its own members.
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.
The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Carolina State Legislative Building in Raleigh.
The Hawaii State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii, consisting of the Hawaii State Senate and the Hawaii State House of Representatives. Each lawmaker represents single member district across the state. The powers of the legislature are granted under Article III of the Constitution of Hawaii. The legislature convenes at the Hawaii State Capitol building in the state capital of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. The General Assembly meets annually at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.
Roy Asberry Cooper III is an American attorney and politician who served from 2017 to 2025 as the 75th governor of North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 50th attorney general of North Carolina from 2001 to 2017, and in the North Carolina General Assembly, in both the House, from 1987 to 1991, and the Senate, from 1991 to 2001.
The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. As of 2025, the current General Assembly is the 104th; the term of an assembly lasts two years.
The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature in West Virginia. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates.
The Constitution of the State of South Carolina is the governing document of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It describes the structure and function of the state's government. The current constitution took effect on December 4, 1895. South Carolina has had six other constitutions, which were adopted in 1669, 1776, 1778, 1790, 1865 and 1868.
The government of Alabama is organized under the provisions of the 2022 Constitution of Alabama. Like other states within the United States, Alabama's government is divided into executive, judicial, and legislative branches. Also like any other state, these three branches serve a specific purpose in terms of power.
The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. The Senate consists of 35 members, each representing a district with about 83,000 people. Service in the state legislature is part-time, and many state senators have full-time jobs during the rest of the year. During the current term, the Senate contains twenty-nine Republicans and six Democrats.
The Alabama Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a bicameral body composed of the House of Representatives and Senate. It is one of the few state legislatures in which members of both chambers serve four-year terms and in which all are elected in the same cycle. The most recent election was on November 8, 2022. The new legislature assumes office immediately following the certification of the election results by the Alabama Secretary of State which occurs within a few days following the election.
The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 members. All 135 representatives and state senators represent an equal number of constituent districts.
South Carolina government and politics covers the three different branches of government, as well as the state constitution, law enforcement agencies, federal representation, state finances, and state taxes. South Carolina is a state in the United States of America and was the eighth admitted to the Union. The state of South Carolina was preceded by the Crown Colony of South Carolina, a constitutional monarchy which was overthrown during the American Revolution. Presently, South Carolina's government is formed as a representative democracy.
A veto session, also referred to as a veto review session, is a type of meeting held by state legislatures in the United States, used to reassess bills that have been vetoed by the governor of the state. State legislatures typically schedule the sessions in advance and only take up vetoed bills for discussion during the meetings. Veto sessions vary in length and time. The state legislature is in session for days. The duration if how many sessions depends on how many vetoed bills by the governor requires further study as well as how many of the vetoed bills the legislature wishes to discuss. State legislatures are no longer required if the representatives do not wish to overturn the vetoed bills. During veto sessions, discussions are conducted to sway the votes of members either in favor of or against the veto, after the discussions, members of the legislative body then vote and once the votes are tallied and a majority decision has been reached the Representatives may either vote to sustain or repeal the veto. When the final decision has been made the session adjourns.
The 2020 United States redistricting cycle is in progress following the completion of the 2020 United States census. In all fifty states, various bodies are re-drawing state legislative districts. States that are apportioned more than one seat in the United States House of Representatives are also drawing new districts for that legislative body.
In the United States, the president can use the veto power to prevent a bill passed by the Congress from becoming law. Congress can override the veto by a two-thirds vote of both chambers.