TheVermont General Assembly is thelegislative body of thestate ofVermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly", but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself.[1] The General Assembly is abicameral legislature, consisting of the 150-memberVermont House of Representatives and the 30-memberVermont Senate.Members of the House are elected by single and two-member districts. 68 districts choose one member, and 41 choose two, with the term of service being two years. The Senate includes 30 Senators, elected by seven single-member and nine multi-member districts with two or three members each. It is the only state legislative body in the United States in which athird party has had continuous representation and been consecutively elected alongside Democrats and Republicans.
The Vermont General Assembly meets at theVermont State House in the state capital ofMontpelier. Biennial terms commence on the Wednesday following the first Monday in January (beginning in 1915; thus, terms commence in odd-numbered years).[2]
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 Legislature is empowered to make law, subject to theGovernor'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 chamber.
The Legislature has the sole power to proposeamendments to theConstitution of Vermont. 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 areferendum. 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)
Vermont had aunicameral legislature until 1836. It added a senate by constitutional amendment.[3] Prior to 1915, the legislature opened its session in the fall. In 1915 it began opening in January.[4] The legislature takes a break the week of Town Meeting Day in March.[5]
From 1777 to 1965, each city/town elected one representative to the Vermont House of Representatives, regardless of the population of the municipality.[6][7] This changed with theU.S. Supreme Court's 1964 decree of "One Man, One Vote" inReynolds v. Sims, which affected all state legislatures across the Union.[8]
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