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Vermont General Assembly

Overview

The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...

of Vermont

Vermont

The State of Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state...

. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself http://www.leg.state.vt.us/. The General Assembly is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the 150-member Vermont House of Representatives

Vermont House of Representatives

The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...

and the 30-member Vermont Senate

Vermont Senate

The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one...

.
Members of the House are elected by single and two-member districts.

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Encyclopedia

The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...

of Vermont

Vermont

The State of Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, , and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state...

. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself http://www.leg.state.vt.us/. The General Assembly is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the 150-member Vermont House of Representatives

Vermont House of Representatives

The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...

and the 30-member Vermont Senate

Vermont Senate

The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one...

.
Members of the House are elected by single and two-member districts. 66 districts choose one member, and 42 choose two, with the term of service being two years. The Senate includes 30 Senators, elected by 13 multi-member districts.

The Vermont General Assembly meets at the State House

Vermont State House

The Vermont State House, located in Montpelier, Vermont, is the capitol and seat of Vermont General Assembly. The current Greek Revival structure is the third building on the same site to serve as the State House...

in Montpelier

Montpelier, Vermont

Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 8,035 at the 2000...

.

Elections

Legislative elections are held in November of every even-numbered year. Representatives and Senators serve two-year terms. One must be a resident of the state for the two years, and of the legislative district for the one year, immediately preceding the election in order to qualify for either house.

The House is headed by the Speaker of the House

Speaker of the House

Speaker of the House is a political term referring to a number of people:*In the United Kingdom and Canada, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the individual elected to preside over the elected House of Commons...

, while the Senate is headed by the State's Lieutenant Governor as the Senate President

President of the Senate

The President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is equivalent to the speaker of other assemblies.The Senate President is often a very high-ranking figure in the order of presidential succession: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is...

. The Senate President has only a casting vote

Casting vote

A casting vote is a vote given to the presiding officer of a council or legislative body to resolve a deadlock and which can be exercised only when such a deadlock exists...

. More often, the Senate is presided over by the President Pro Tempore
Pro tempore
Pro tempore , pro tem or p.t. is a Latin phrase which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a locum tenens in the absence of a superior, such as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate.Legislative bodies can...

, or temporary President.

Functions

The Legislature is empowered to make law, subject to the Governor

Governor of Vermont

The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected biennially in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...

's power to veto a bill. However, the veto may be overridden by the Legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in favor of overriding in each House.

The Legislature has the sole power to propose amendments

Constitutional amendment

A constitutional amendment is a change to the constitution of a nation or a state. In jurisdictions with "rigid" or "entrenched" constitutions, amendments require a special procedure different from that used for enacting ordinary laws.-Referendum:...

to the Constitution of Vermont

Constitution of Vermont

The Constitution of the State of Vermont is the fundamental body of law of the U.S. State of Vermont. It was adopted in 1793 following Vermont's admission to the Union in 1791 and is largely based upon the 1777 Constitution of the Vermont Republic which was ratified at Windsor in the Old...

. An amendment must originate in the Senate, where it must receive a two-thirds vote. After passing the Senate, it must also receive a majority vote in the House. Any amendment that passes both Houses, must be repassed by majority votes, after a newly elected legislature is seated; again, first in the Senate, then in the House. The proposed amendment must then be passed by a majority of the state's voters at a referendum

Referendum

A referendum , ballot question, or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal...

. Only every other Senate session may initiate the amendment process. Thus, Senates elected in off-year (i.e. non-Presidential) elections may initiate amendments, but not Senates elected during Presidential elections. (Vermont Constitution, Chapter 2, Section 72)

The role of third parties

The General Assembly is notable for being the only state legislature in the United States with a significant third party

Third party (United States)

The term third party is used in the United States for a political party other than one of the two major parties, at present, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. It is used as shorthand for all such parties, or sometimes only the largest of them. The term is often used dismissively; also...

presence. Six members, or 4%, of the House belong to the Vermont Progressive Party

Vermont Progressive Party

The Vermont Progressive Party is an American political party. It was founded in 1999 and is active only in the U.S. state of Vermont. In terms of the dominant two parties in the United States, it enjoys support from "traditional liberal" Democrats and working class Republicans.-History:The Vermont...

, a center-left party similar to the Social Democratic Party of Germany

Social Democratic Party of Germany

The Social Democratic Party of Germany is Germany's oldest political party. The party governed at the federal level in a grand coalition with the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union until conceding defeat in the federal election of September 2009...

or the Social Democratic Party of Finland

Social Democratic Party of Finland

The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the most influential political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. It has been in the Cabinet for long periods of time, the last time in 1995–2007, and has set many fundamental policies of the Finnish...

(SDP).

History

Prior to 1915, the legislature opened its session in the fall. In 1915 it began opening in January. The legislature takes a break the week of Town Meeting Day in March.

Vermont General Assembly

Elections

Functions

The role of third parties

History

See also

External links