65-598: The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon . The Legislative Assembly is bicameral , consisting of an upper and lower house : the Senate , whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives , with 60 members elected to two-year terms. There are no term limits for either house in the Legislative Assembly. Each Senate district
130-441: A quorum . Oregon Ballot Measure 113 was passed in 2022 to disqualify senators with ten unexcused absences from serving in the legislature following their current term, largely in response to a series of walkouts by Republican senators. In the interim between legislative sessions, special study groups made up of state legislators with interests or expertise in the specific study areas investigate issues that will be addressed during
195-401: A bill from a committee", which led to subsequent reforms. Reports of Committee After a committee has completed work on a bill, it reports the bill to the appropriate house during the "reports of committees" in the daily order of business. Reported bills are immediately given a second reading. The houses do not vote on a bill at the time it is reported; however, reported bills are placed on
260-562: A committee to "kill" a bill, sometimes without even a public vote; in Colorado, the power was notably repealed in a citizen initiative constitutional amendment in 1988 driven by various reform groups. When a committee refuses to vote a bill out of committee, a discharge petition can be passed by the broader membership. The specifics vary from state to state; for example, in 2004, a report found that New York State "places more restrictions than any other state legislature on motions to discharge
325-442: A constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to call itself into session. In either case, special sessions are permitted only "in the event of an emergency." Voters narrowly defeated a constitutional amendment in 1990 that would have established annual sessions. In 1982 a special session lasted 37 days, and the governor called the assembly into special session five times in 2002, for a total of 52 days. The 2006 special session
390-423: A few months after the legislative session that created the board ended. The governor requested additional funding for his War on Vice campaign which had quickly used up its appropriated funds. The Emergency Board allocated an additional $ 1,500 for the governor's program along with $ 5,000 to pay rewards to citizen who helped in the capture of criminals. At its first meeting, the board also provided $ 500 to continue
455-428: A majority of legislators, who were hoping to eventually win approval of a change to regular annual sessions. The push for annual sessions dates back to at least 1981, when a poll of legislators found that two-thirds favored a shift to annual sessions. The Constitution of Oregon requires 3/5s vote in both houses in order to pass new taxes or increase existing ones. In addition, two-thirds of senators are required to form
520-506: A majority party, this is known as the majority being "rolled". When there are bills which most of the majority oppose, roll rates are a measure of the majority party's avoidance of voting on those bills. Committee review Committees review bill, often holding hearings to gather information and opinions, and can propose amendments to bill similar to legislative bodies throughout the world. Most bills cannot be enacted into law until it has been referred to, acted upon by, and returned from,
585-470: A standing committee in each house. Reference to committee usually follows the first reading of the bill. Each committee is set up to consider bills relating to a particular subject. Standing committees are charged with the important responsibility of examining bills and recommending action to the Senate or House. Often on days when a legislature is not in session, the committees of each house meet and consider
650-502: A state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at the national level. Generally, the same system of checks and balances that exists at the federal level also exists between the state legislature, the state executive officer (governor) and the state judiciary . A state is permitted to use a parliamentary system , or any other system of government, if it so desired. In 27 states,
715-523: Is a statutory legislative committee composed of members of both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly . It has broad powers to allocate general fund resources, lottery revenue, and other state funds for unanticipated government requirements when the state legislature is not in session. The board can authorize an agency to overspend its approved budget or approve a new budget amount for specific agency tasks. It can also authorize
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#1732772937227780-451: Is available to ensure that legislation and accompanying discussion proceed as orderly as possible without bias. Bill drafting and submission The lawmaking process begins with the introduction of a bill in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. Bills may be introduced in either house, sometimes with the exception of bills increasing or decreasing revenue, which must originate in
845-540: Is called the Nebraska Legislature , but its members are called state senators. The first bicameral American legislature was formed in 1619 as the Virginia House of Burgesses . The legislatures of the initial Thirteen Colonies usually consisted of an elected lower house and an appointed upper house , the latter of which also functioned as an advisory council to the colonial governor. After
910-609: Is compensated accordingly. Legislators are paid $ 33,852 per year. Presiding officers (the Speaker of the House and Senate President) are compensated double, $ 67,704 per year. While in session, legislators also receive a $ 151 per diem. In the 2022 Regular Session, at the request of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) and Family Forward Oregon, a SB1566 was introduced to increase legislators pay. SB 1566 establishes an annual salary for members of
975-569: Is composed of exactly two House districts: Senate District 1 contains House Districts 1 and 2, SD 2 contains HD 3 and HD 4, and so on. (Maps of Senate districts can be found in the Oregon State Senate article.) Senate districts contain about 127,700 people, and are redrawn every ten years. The legislature is termed as a "citizens' assembly" (meaning that most legislators have other jobs). Since 1885, its regular sessions of up to 160 days occurred in odd-numbered years, beginning on
1040-488: Is done by committees. The legislature as a whole relies on its committees to report out only those bills deserving the consideration of the entire house. Through standing committees, each bill is addressed by a group of members who have special knowledge of its subject. Some members of the legislature have expert knowledge of particular subjects of legislation, and these members are usually placed on committees to take full advantage of this specialized knowledge. For this reason,
1105-711: Is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and has a lobbying office in Washington, D.C. Additionally, privately funded organizations with ideological leanings have annual meetings attracting many legislators. These include the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative organization, and the State Innovation Exchange (SIX), its progressive counterpart. As of 2017, 24 of 99 chambers have limits on
1170-550: Is made up of eight state senators appointed by the Senate President and eight members of the House appointed by the Speaker of the House. The eight appointed senators who serve on the board must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate and the eight members from the House must be confirmed by a majority of that chamber. When the Oregon legislature is in session, the permanent Legislative Fiscal Office staff supports
1235-413: Is not considered by the full house, the bill is defeated. The house of origin, upon return of its amended bill, may take any one of several courses of action. It may concur in the amendment by the adoption of a motion to that effect; then the bill, having been passed by both houses in identical form, is ready for enrollment. Another possibility is that the house of origin may adopt a motion to non-concur in
1300-666: Is to create laws. State legislatures also approve budget for state government. They may establish government agencies, set their policies, and approve their budgets. For instance, a state legislature could establish an agency to manage environmental conservation efforts within that state. In some states, state legislators elect other officials, such as governor. State legislatures often have power to regulate businesses operating within their jurisdiction. They also regulate courts within their jurisdiction. This includes determining types of cases that can be heard, setting court fees, and regulating attorney conduct. Other responsibilities Under
1365-586: The American Revolution and the establishment of the United States, most states wrote new constitutions which had direct elections for both chambers of the legislature. This model helped influence the U.S. Constitution and was then adopted by new states which later joined the union . Members of the smaller chamber represent more citizens and usually serve for longer terms than members of the larger chamber, generally four years. In 41 states,
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#17327729372271430-437: The U.S. Senate , because that chamber's makeup is prescribed by the U.S. Constitution .) During a legislative session , the legislature considers matters introduced by its members or submitted by the governor. Businesses and other special interest organizations often lobby the legislature to obtain beneficial legislation, defeat unfavorably perceived measures, or influence other legislative action. A legislature also approves
1495-404: The governor and to try articles of impeachment. (In a few states, a separate executive council, composed of members elected from large districts, performs the confirmation function.) Nebraska originally had a bicameral legislature like the other states, but the lower house was abolished following a referendum, effective with the 1936 elections. The remaining unicameral (one-chamber) legislature
1560-459: The 2011 session. The first 35 regular sessions (i.e. until 1929) lasted 50 days or less. Since 1949 no annual session was shorter than 100 days. The longest session was the 72nd regular session, at 227 days, ending August 27, 2003. More recent sessions ended in June or July. The Governor of Oregon was the only person who could call the assembly into special sessions until 1976, when voters approved
1625-507: The Emergency Board, and other legislative committees. During interim periods, Oregon's governor determines when a state agency requires additional funds. After making that determination, the governor submits a funding request to the Emergency Board for consideration. However, the board's co-chairs decide what action items are placed on the board's agenda. In addition to interim funding requests and related information submitted by
1690-418: The House of Representatives. The order of business in each house provides a proper time for the introduction of bills. Bills are usually assigned consecutive numbers, given in the order of their introduction, to facilitate identification. Usually a bill cannot become enacted until it has been read on a certain number of days in each house. Upon introduction, a bill is usually read by its title only, constituting
1755-513: The Legislative Assembly equal to the annual occupational mean wage estimate for Oregon in the prior year, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Oregon Employment Department. And it directs the salary to be adjusted to conform to the mean only once every two years. It also authorizes a child care allowance for members who have children or dependents under the age of 13. Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) said at
1820-599: The Legislative Assembly making appropriations and limiting expenditures, or either, are not intended to limit the powers of the Emergency Board. The Emergency Board is co-chaired by the President of the Oregon Senate and the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives. The chairpersons of the Senate and House ways and means committees are also statutory members of the board. The rest of the 20-person board
1885-847: The National Conference of The Council of State Governments (CSG), headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, with offices in Washington, DC; New York City; Chicago; Atlanta; and Sacramento, and at the annual meetings of CSG's regions, The Southern Legislative Conference, The Midwestern Legislative Conference, the Eastern Regional Conference and CSG West, and at the Legislative Summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures , which
1950-592: The November 2010 general election amended the state's constitution and changed the schedule of regular sessions from bi-annual to annual. Senate Joint Resolution 41 was voted on as state Ballot Measure 71 , which passed statewide by a margin of more than 2 to 1. With limited exceptions, the constitutional changes enacted through Measure 71 limit the length of legislative sessions beginning in odd-numbered years to 160 calendar days, and sessions beginning in even-numbered years to 35 calendar days. The changes took effect with
2015-460: The President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House members of the board along with the chairpersons of the House and Senate ways and means committees. Governor Oswald West vetoed the bill that proposed establishing the Emergency Board, but his veto was overridden by legislature and it became law. The Emergency Board's first meeting was requested by Governor West in September 1913, just
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2080-542: The Senate Rules Committee. In light of this, three veteran House Democrats jointly announced they would not seek reelection because of the apparent failure of SB1566. The three state representatives, Karin Power , Rachel Prusak and Anna Williams , said they could not afford to work full time for part-time pay. “We are a lawyer, nurse practitioner, and social worker,” the three said in a statement. “Seeing
2145-464: The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. Later that year, after 38 years of successfully using the Emergency Board to address funding issues between legislative sessions, Oregon's Attorney General , George Neuner , ruled that the Emergency Board was unconstitutional. To resolve this problem, the legislature submitted a constitutional amendment to Oregon's voters in the 1952 general election. To cover emergencies that might arise between
2210-532: The amendment, at which point the bill dies. Finally, the house of origin may refuse to accept the amendment but request that a conference committee be appointed. The other house usually agrees to the request, and the presiding officer of each house appoints members to the conference committee. Conference committees Oregon Emergency Board Oregon's Emergency Board (also known as the State Emergency Board and Legislative Emergency Board )
2275-494: The basis of representation in most state legislatures was modeled on that of the U.S. Congress : the state senators represented geographical units, while members of the larger chamber represented population. In Reynolds v. Sims the Supreme Court decided upon the one man, one vote standard for state legislatures and invalidated representation based on geographical units regardless of population. (The ruling does not affect
2340-428: The bill, the entire legislature gives consideration to its passage. At this time, the bill may be studied in detail, debated, amended, and read at length before final passage. If the majority vote in favor of the bill, it is recorded as passed. Transmission to second house A bill that is passed in one house is transmitted, along with a formal message, to the other house. If the bill is not reported from committee or
2405-413: The bills that have been referred to them to decide if the assigned bills should be reported for further action. For most bills, the recommendations of the committee are followed, although either house is free to accept or reject the action of the committee. Bills reported favorably by a committee may be placed on a regular calendar (the agenda of the deliberative body). Most of the work of the legislature
2470-524: The board before they are submitted to the federal agency overseeing the grant. Currently, grant application are submitted to the board through the Legislative Fiscal Office. Today, the Emergency Board continues to fund critical programs that occur between Oregon's legislative sessions. For example, the board funded a wildfire recovery program in 2015. A year later, the board paid to test for lead in drinking water in schools across
2535-421: The calendar for the next legislative day. This second reading is made by title only. The regular calendar is a list of bills that have been favorably reported from committee and are ready for consideration by the membership of the entire house. Third reading Regardless of where a bill is placed on the calendar, once the bill is considered and adopted, this is called the third reading. At this third reading of
2600-425: The close of the 1951 legislative session and the 1952 election, the legislature authorized Governor Douglas McKay to spend up to $ 1.5 million for unexpected funding requirements. In the 1952 general election, Oregon voters approved incorporating the Emergency Board into the state constitution by a vote of 364,539 to 192,492. As a result, the Emergency Board was reestablished in 1953. The Legislative Fiscal Office
2665-424: The first reading of the bill. Because a bill is usually read by title only, it is important that the title give the members notice of the subject matter contained in the bill. A 2013 study of state legislatures found that of the 99 studied, about half, 53, had roll rates below 5% . And most, 83, had roll rates below 10% . When a bill passes where most votes are from the minority party and "moderate" members of
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2730-404: The following responsibilities and powers for the board: (1) The Emergency Board, during the interim between sessions of the Legislative Assembly, may exercise the following powers: (2) No allocation, authorization or approval under subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) of this section shall be effective unless made at a meeting at which 10 members of the board were present. (3) The laws enacted by
2795-529: The governor, the board co-chairs may request additional information or special reports from state agencies to support their deliberations. The state Emergency Board was created by the Oregon legislature in 1913. The board was intended to be available to provide emergency funding for state institutions or departments when the legislature was out of session. The original legislation made the Governor of Oregon , Oregon Secretary of State , Oregon State Treasurer ,
2860-462: The hardships that families faced in our professional lives convinced us to run for office knowing these families deserved voices in our state government. State legislature (United States) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] In the United States , the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states . A legislature generally performs state duties for
2925-520: The hearing that the low pay deters Oregonians from serving in the Legislature and urged the new salary be approved. He said the current pay serves to encourage only those with personal wealth or with multiple jobs to run for the legislature. Because of the high time commitment legislative positions require, the current salary also makes it financially difficult for some to stay in office once they’ve been elected. Ultimately, SB1566 did not make it out of
2990-470: The investigation of a Portland gas franchise. These actions established the Emergency Board as an effective institution for handling out-of-cycle funding requests. In 1951, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill that took the governor, secretary of state, and state treasurer off the Emergency Board. The legislation replaced them with two House members and one state senator to be appointed by
3055-412: The joint committee on ways and means. During the interim period between legislative sessions, the office reports to the Emergency Board. The Legislative Fiscal Office is a non-partisan organization that does economic research, fiscal analysis, and identifies options for funding state agencies and programs. It also analyzes fiscal implications of proposed legislation for the joint ways and means committee,
3120-567: The larger chamber is called the House of Representatives. Five states designate the larger chamber the assembly, three states call it the House of Delegates, and one has just one chamber. Members of the larger chamber usually serve for terms of two years. The larger chamber customarily has the exclusive power to initiate taxing legislation and articles of impeachment . Prior to the United States Supreme Court decisions Baker v. Carr (1962) and Reynolds v. Sims (1964),
3185-467: The legislature is called the legislature or the state legislature , while in 19 states the legislature is called the general assembly . In Massachusetts and New Hampshire , the legislature is called the general court , while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature the legislative assembly . The responsibilities of a state legislature vary from state to state, depending on state's constitution . The primary function of any legislature
3250-608: The legislature is considered full-time, the session may last all year, with periodic breaks for district work. Some states have varying lengths for odd-numbered and even-numbered years, or allow for a fixed number of either legislative or calendar days. Georgia for example, allows only 40 legislative days per year, and Wyoming allows 60 legislative days per term and no more than 40 per one calendar year. Whereas in Michigan , New Jersey , New York (in odd-numbered years), Ohio , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (in odd-numbered years),
3315-473: The legislature is not sufficient to cover the actual requirement. The board can also approve funding for new requirements that arise unexpectedly after the legislature has passed the state's budget and is no longer in session. The Emergency Board is authorized by Article III, Section 3 of the Oregon Constitution and is established in law under Oregon statute ORS 291.326. The statute outlines
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#17327729372273380-452: The legislature often accepts the final recommendations of its standing committees. As has been noted, however, the legislature does not completely abdicate its responsibility for the consideration of pending bills. If the need arises, the members of either house can force a committee to take action on a bill, or they can ignore the committee's recommendations. Pocket veto and discharge petitions Pocket veto powers are common, which allows
3445-399: The manner of appointing the state's presidential electors . Formerly, state legislatures appointed the U.S. Senators from their respective states until the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913 required the direct election of senators by the state's voters. Sometimes what the legislature wishes to accomplish cannot be done simply by the passage of a bill, but rather requires amending
3510-420: The next legislative session. In addition, the state's legislative Emergency Board , which is jointly chaired by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, can take action to provide additional funds to state agencies for activities required by law or that arise unexpectedly during the legislative interim. The job of a member of the Legislative Assembly is considered a "part-time" job in Oregon, and
3575-401: The number of bills that a legislator can introduce per year according to NCSL . Most limits are set by internal legislative rules, while Louisiana's legislature is limited by constitutional amendment. Generally, the legislative bodies and their committees use either Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure or an amended form thereof. During official meetings, a professional parliamentarian
3640-501: The period between sessions can last many months. In the past, many legislative interims have lasted 18 months or more. The state Emergency Board is responsible for adjusting the state budget to cover emergency requirements when the full legislature is out of session. The board can allocate or transfer funds to state agencies beyond the original appropriated amount when required. It can allocate additional public funds for activities required by law when an existing appropriation made by
3705-566: The second Monday in January. Effective 2012, the legislature moved into an annual session, with the even-numbered years having a "short session" of 35 days or less, beginning in February. Bills may be introduced in either house, and must flow through a committee before being voted upon. Bills calling for increased revenue must be introduced in the House of Representatives. How ideas become law . A legislative resolution referred to voters in
3770-400: The sessions usually last all year. Four state legislatures – Montana , Nevada , North Dakota and Texas – meet only biennially. In the early 1960s, only 19 legislatures met annually, but by the mid-1970s, it had increased to 41. The latest legislature to switch to annual sessions was Oregon in 2011, following a voter-approved ballot measure. Many state legislators meet every year at
3835-414: The state constitution. Each state has specified steps intended to make it difficult to alter the constitution without the sufficient support of either the legislature, or the people, or both. All states except Nebraska have a bicameral legislature. The smaller chamber is called the senate, usually referred to as the upper house. This chamber usually has the exclusive power to confirm appointments made by
3900-433: The state's operating and capital budgets, which may begin as a legislative proposal or a submission by the governor. In most states, a new state legislature convenes in January of the odd-numbered year after the election of members to the larger chamber. The period during which the legislature remains in session varies by state. In states where the legislature is considered part-time, a session may last several months; where
3965-574: The state. That same year, the Oregon State Police asked the Emergency Board for an additional $ 2.5 million to cover the cost of the 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. In that case, the board only authorized an additional $ 2 million for the state police and other agencies. Out-of-cycle requirements like these are typical of the funding issues addressed by
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#17327729372274030-450: The terms of Article V of the U.S. Constitution , state lawmakers retain the power to ratify Constitutional amendments which have been proposed by both houses of Congress and they also retain the ability to call for a national convention to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. After the convention has concluded its business 75% of the states will ratify what the convention has proposed. Under Article II , state legislatures choose
4095-553: The transfers of funds between agencies or budget accounts. The Emergency Board is jointly chaired by the President of the Oregon Senate and the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives . The Emergency Board is a powerful committee of the state legislature that functions during interim periods when the state's legislative is out of sessions. Because Oregon's legislature only meets for limited periods during its biennial cycle,
4160-544: Was established in 1959. The office was created to support the legislature's ways and means committees and the Emergency Board when the legislature is not in session. The office's non-partisan staff provided the Emergency Board with full-time professional expertise to analyze state programs, budget requirements, and expenditure issues. In 2007, the Emergency Board was authorized to review and approve federal grant applications during legislative interim periods. Except in emergency situations, grant applications must be approval by
4225-416: Was the shortest in Oregon's history: five pieces of legislation were passed in only six hours. The legislative body may also call itself into special session "in the event of an emergency," although it has never done so. The legislature's regular sessions were every two years until 2009. The legislative session in 2010 that referred Measure 71 to voters was a special session approved during the 2009 session by
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