West Virginia Legislature

Last updated

West Virginia Legislature
86th West Virginia Legislature
WV State Seal.svg
Type
Type
Houses Senate
House of Delegates
History
FoundedJune 20, 1863
(161 years ago)
 (1863-06-20)
Preceded by Restored Legislature of Virginia
New session started
January 10, 2024
Leadership
Craig Blair (R)
since January 13, 2021
Senate Majority Leader
Tom Takubo (R)
since January 9, 2019
Roger Hanshaw (R)
since August 29, 2018
House Majority Leader
Eric Householder (R)
since January 11, 2023
Structure
Seats134 voting members:
34 Senators
100 Delegates
West Virginia Senate 2022.svg
Senate political groups
Majority (31)
   Republican (31)

Minority (3)

   Democratic (3)
West Virginia House of Delegates April 2023.svg
House of Delegates political groups
Majority (89)
   Republican (89)

Minority (11)

   Democratic (11)
AuthorityArticle VI, West Virginia Constitution
Elections
Last Senate election
November 8, 2022
Last House of Delegates election
November 8, 2022
Next Senate election
November 5, 2024
Next House of Delegates election
November 5, 2024
Meeting place
Wvstatecapitalbldg.JPG
West Virginia State Capitol
Charleston
Website
www.wvlegislature.gov
Constitution
Constitution of West Virginia

The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI of the West Virginia Constitution following the state's split from Virginia during the American Civil War in 1863. As with its neighbor and former constituent Virginia General Assembly, the legislature's lower house is also referred to as a "House of Delegates."

Contents

The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Charleston.

Terms

Senators are elected for terms of four years and delegates for terms of two years. The term for Senators are staggered, meaning that not all 34 State Senate seats are up every election: some are elected in presidential election years and some are up during midterm elections. [1]

Organization

Regular sessions of the legislature commence on the second Wednesday of January of each year. However, following the election of a new governor, the session starts in January with the governor's address but then adjourns until February. On the first day of the session, members of both the House and the Senate sit in joint session in the House chamber where the governor presents his or her legislative program. The length of the general session may not go beyond 60 calendar days unless extended by a concurrent resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of each house. The governor may convene the Legislature for extraordinary sessions. Given the part-time nature of the legislature of West Virginia, multiple extraordinary sessions are not uncommon.

Legislative process

Bills, even revenue bills, and resolutions may originate in either house. [1] Bills must undergo three readings in each house before being sent to the governor. [1] Bills cannot contain multiple subjects and do not take effect until 90 days following adjournment, unless specifically approved to take effect immediately by two-thirds of the membership of each house. [1]

Bills are drafted by the Office of Legislative Services or legislative staff counsel, reviewed by the sponsor of the bill and submitted for introduction to the clerk of the chamber of which the sponsor is a member. [2] Bills are assigned to committees that make recommendations about a bill in the form of a committee report. [2]

The governor has the power to veto bills. [1] For budget bills or supplementary appropriations bills, two-thirds of the members elected to each house are required to override the governor's veto of a bill or line-item veto. [1] For all other bills, a simple majority of each house is required. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of California

The California State Legislature is a bicameral state legislature consisting of a lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members; and an upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members. Both houses of the Legislature convene at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The California state legislature is one of just ten full-time state legislatures in the United States. The houses are distinguished by the colors of the carpet and trim of each house. The Senate is distinguished by the color red and the Assembly by the color green, inspired by the United Kingdom's House of Lords and House of Commons respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Virginia

The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, 1619.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska State Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Alaska

The Alaska State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a bicameral institution consisting of the 40-member Alaska House of Representatives and the 20-member Alaska Senate. There are 40 House Districts (1–40) and 20 Senate Districts (A–T). With a total of 60 lawmakers, the Alaska State Legislature is the smallest bicameral state legislature in the United States and the second-smallest of all state legislatures. There are no term limits for either chamber. The Alaska State Legislature meets in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau. The current meeting since 2023 is the 33rd Alaska State Legislature. The previous meeting, the 32nd Alaska State Legislature, met from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Maryland

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Georgia

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of North Carolina

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii State Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Hawaii

The Hawaii State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state legislature is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Hawaii State House of Representatives, with 51 representatives, and an upper house, the 25-member Hawaii State Senate. There are a total of 76 lawmakers in the legislature, each representing single member districts across the islands. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missouri General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Missouri

The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits. Senators are limited to two four-year terms and representatives to four two-year terms, a total of 8 years for members of both houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado Senate</span> Upper house of Colorado General Assembly

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska Senate</span> Upper house of the Alaska Legislative

The Alaska State Senate is the upper house in the Alaska State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It convenes in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska and is responsible for making laws and confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions and boards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Mississippi

The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and the upper Mississippi State Senate, with 52 members. Both representatives and senators serve four-year terms without term limits. The Legislature convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia House of Delegates</span> Lower house of the West Virginia Legislature

The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia Senate</span> Upper house of the West Virginia Legislature

The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the Senate as recently as 2015, Republicans now dominate in the chamber, and hold 31 seats to the Democrats' three seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Alabama</span> State government of the US state of Alabama

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Alabama

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Oklahoma

The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 state representatives, each serving a two-year term, and 48 state senators, who serve four-year terms that are staggered so only half of the Oklahoma Senate districts are eligible in each election cycle. Legislators are elected directly by the people from single member districts of equal population. The Oklahoma Legislature meets annually in the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah State Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Utah

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana State Legislature</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Louisiana

The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana State Senate with 39 senators. Members of each house are elected from single-member districts of roughly equal populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas House of Representatives</span> Lower house of the government of Kansas

The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on legislation, helping to create a state budget, and legislative oversight over state agencies. Representatives are elected to two-year terms. The Kansas House of Representatives does not have term limits. The legislative session convenes at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of West Virginia</span>

The Government of West Virginia is modeled after the Government of the United States, with three branches: the executive, consisting of the Governor of West Virginia and the other elected constitutional officers; the legislative, consisting of the West Virginia Legislature which includes the Senate and the House of Delegates; and the judicial, consisting of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and lower courts.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 West Virginia Constitution Archived January 12, 2018, at the Wayback Machine , West Virginia Legislature Archived April 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 29, 2013)
  2. 1 2 How a Bill Becomes Law Archived May 15, 2024, at the Wayback Machine , West Virginia State Legislature Archived May 15, 2024, at the Wayback Machine