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64-577: 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 . From 1800 until 1833,

128-451: A bicameral legislature of the state, composed of a Senate and a House of Representatives , in which all lawmaking authority is vested. The constitution requires the legislature to convene in regular annual sessions, with most lasting for 90 days and sessions on every fourth year lasting for 125 days, though the legislature can extend their sessions with the approval of two-thirds of its members. The governor may also at their discretion call

192-401: 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

256-562: A committee to "kill" a bill, sometimes without even a public vote; in Colorado, the power was notably repealed in a citizen initiative constitutional amendment in 1988 driven by various reform groups.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

320-581: A deadlock between the two houses. For a deadlock to be declared, a bill has to be rejected twice by the Senate at an interval of at least three months, after which a double dissolution election can be held. If, following the election, the new parliament is still unable to pass the bill, it may be considered by a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate , and must achieve an absolute majority of

384-635: A joint session, voting by majority of all members of the legislature regardless of which house or chamber they belong to. For example, in Switzerland a joint session of the two houses elects the members of the Federal Council (cabinet). In India , disputes between houses are resolved by a joint sitting but without an intervening election. In the Australian federal parliament , a joint sitting can be held, under certain conditions, to overcome

448-415: A limited immunity from arrest during a legislative session and 15 days before or after a session except in cases of "treason, felony, theft, or breach of the peace". In the event of a vacancy in a legislative seat in between regular elections, the governor issues a writ of election to enable a contest to be held to fill the seat for the remainder of its term. The Constitution of Mississippi provides for

512-506: 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,

576-417: 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

640-502: 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,

704-475: A total compensation of $ 40,000 to $ 50,000 per year from salary, per diem payments, and other reimbursements and payments, with several collecting around $ 70,000 per year. All legislators swear a state constitutionally-prescribed oath of office, which requires them to declare allegiance to the state and federal constitutions, pledge to be responsible in the exercise of their duties, and promise not to engage in vote trading . The constitution provides legislators with

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768-422: A two-thirds vote of the membership of his or her chamber. Legislative proceedings are open to the public unless a closed session for secrecy is deemed necessary, and each house has the power to punish public observers for disorderly and disruptive behavior. Each house keeps an official journal to record its proceedings, including votes on bills. A bill may originate in either house, and be amended or rejected in

832-464: A winning margin over the whole of Australia of up to 36–0. That would have given the party or grouping enjoying such a large Senate majority an advantage in any joint sitting, had there been one. The voting system now used for the Senate, quota-preferential proportional representation , almost inevitably leads to very evenly divided results. Six senators are elected from each state and two from each territory. A party or grouping has to get at least 57% of

896-451: 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

960-540: 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

1024-488: 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,

1088-711: 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

1152-413: 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

1216-453: Is responsible for election of the state librarian. During instances of rebellion or foreign invasion, the legislature may suspend the writ of habeas corpus . The House of Representatives is empowered to impeach any state official with the agreement of two-thirds of its members and subject them to a trial in the Senate, which can remove an official from office with the agreement of two-thirds of its members. The legislature can pass amendments to

1280-666: 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

1344-400: Is traditionally made before a "joint session" of the United States Congress . Many states refer to an analogous event as a "joint convention". Such assemblies are typically held in the chamber of the lower house as the larger body. State constitutions of U.S. states may require joint conventions for other purposes; for example Tennessee 's requires such to elect the secretary of state ,

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1408-586: 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,

1472-664: The King into office, as stipulated by article 91 of the Constitution. The Canadian government procedure is called a joint address , with the members of the House of Commons attending the Senate as guests. There is no procedure in Canada for both chambers of the Parliament to sit in a true joint session. Various government agencies and non-governmental organizations may also meet jointly to handle problems which each of

1536-603: The President of Germany . It includes members from the Bundestag and representatives of the States of Germany . In India , if an ordinary bill has been rejected by any house of the parliament and if more than six months have elapsed, the President may summon a joint session for purpose of passing the bill. The bill is passed by a simple majority of a joint sitting. Since the lower house ( Lok Sabha ) has more than twice

1600-848: The Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 . In the Irish Free State , the predecessor of the Republic of Ireland , the Governor-General's Address to both houses was made to the lower house , with Senators invited to attend. In the Philippines , Congress can convene in a joint session for the following: While the State of the Nation Address takes place annually, and presidential elections occur every six years,

1664-437: 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

1728-404: 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

1792-410: The House must be at least 21 years old, while candidates for the Senate must be at least 25 years old. Each house has the authority to judge the qualifications of its own members. The Mississippi Legislature is a citizen legislature ; most legislators have full-time occupations unrelated to their official roles. Members receive a base salary of $ 23,000 per year. As of April 2022, most legislators garnered

1856-418: 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

1920-847: 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

1984-408: The Senate pro tempore . The presiding officers determine the leadership of legislative committees in their own houses. In the event of a tied vote in a joint session , the lieutenant governor is empowered to cast a tie-breaking vote. The constitution gives the state legislature the authority to determine rules of its own proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and expel a member with

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2048-499: The Ways and Means Committee and Appropriations Committee in the House often exercise significant influence over legislation. Mississippi judges have usually deferred to the legislature on legal questions involving its internal decisions and operations; such things are not subject to regular judicial review . In 2011, 63% of the seats in the legislature had candidates with no significant opposition in upcoming elections. In 2023, that figure

2112-619: 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 Joint session Most often it refers to when both houses of a bicameral legislature sit together. A joint session typically occurs to receive foreign or domestic diplomats or leaders , or to allow both houses to consider bills together. Some constitutions give special power to

2176-435: The attendance of absent members. Each house elects their own officers. The House of Representatives is led by a speaker, who is elected among the preexisting membership in the House. The Senate is led by the lieutenant governor , who is popularly elected by voters in statewide elections and is ex officio president of the Senate. Second to these officers in their respective houses are the speaker pro tempore and president of

2240-494: 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

2304-428: 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

2368-413: 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

2432-421: 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

2496-424: 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

2560-633: The involved parties has a stake in. The Congress of France is an assembly of both houses of the French Parliament , convened at the Palace of Versailles , which can approve certain amendments to the constitution by a three-fifths majority of all members. Since 2008, the Congress may also be convened to hear an address from the President of the Republic . The Federal Convention elects

2624-567: 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),

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2688-465: The last three days of a session. Most bills are passed by a simple majority vote of each chamber. Any revenue bill or measure that alters the assessment of taxable property requires the approval of three-fifths of legislators present and voting. Every bill passed by both houses is signed by the presiding officers of each house. The Mississippi Legislature has the power to write state laws and craft appropriations to fund state government. All bills passed by

2752-666: The legislative body of the Mississippi Territory and the state of Mississippi was known as the "General Assembly". Thereafter, it was known as "the Legislature of the State of Mississippi". During the Reconstruction era , the legislature met for biennial sessions. In 1890, constitutional revisions allowed the body to regularly convene only once every four years. In 1910, the legislature reverted to biennial meetings, and in 1968 it began meeting annually. In 1977,

2816-493: The legislature become law unless vetoed by the governor, though the body may override the veto with the approval two-thirds of the members of each House. The legislature has the power to convene hearings to investigate any matter it desires. Unable to compel testimony from any individual in such instances, or prosecute crimes, or enforce any other desired outcome, such hearings are usually held only to gather information to aid in policy-making and budgeting decisions. The legislature

2880-412: The legislature into a special session to a consider a specific issue of the governor's choosing. Since 1903, the legislature has met in the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson . One house cannot adjourn its proceedings for over three days without the agreement of the other. A basic majority of one house's members constitutes a quorum to do business, though a smaller group can convene and vote to compel

2944-467: 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

3008-608: 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),

3072-452: 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

3136-399: 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

3200-714: The members of the upper house ( Rajya Sabha ), a group commanding a majority in the lower house of the Government of India can often pass such a bill even if it was previously rejected by the upper house. So far, joint Session of the Parliament of India has been called for only three bills that have been passed at joint sessions: the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 , the Banking Service Commission Repeal Bill, 1978, and

3264-401: 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

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3328-584: The only instances when the other two conditions were met post the approval of the 1987 constitution were following the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao after the Maguindanao massacre in 2009, and in Mindanao after the Marawi crisis in 2017 and 2018. Special joint sessions can also be convened to facilitate visiting foreign leaders' addresses to Congress. Joint sessions are typically held at

3392-409: The other, and must be read by its title on three different days in each house, unless two-thirds of the house vote to suspend the rules. The Mississippi Constitution prohibits amending a bill to change its original purpose. Bills amended in the second house, must return it to the first for a vote to accept amendments. All bills must be considered by a committee in each house. No bills can be introduced in

3456-568: The seat of the House of Representatives, which is at the Batasang Pambansa Complex , Quezon City . English and later British monarchs have jointly addressed the House of Commons and the House of Lords since the 16th century. Since 1939, foreign heads of state and dignitaries have been invited to address both houses of Parliament, the first to do so was French President Albert Lebrun in March 1939. The speech from

3520-400: 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

3584-743: The state constitution was amended to require that legislative districts be apportioned equally in terms of population. The Mississippi Legislature has 174 elected members, with 122 members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and 52 members of the Mississippi Senate . Members are elected to four-year terms to represent districts. Among the states, Mississippi has the 14th largest lower house and fifth largest upper house. House districts are drawn such that each encompasses about 24,000 people, while Senate districts are drawn such that each encompasses about 55,000 people. Candidates for

3648-480: The state constitution with the approval of two-thirds of the members of each house, subject to ratification in a popular referendum. Bills typically have to be passed out of committee before being passed by the legislature. A chair of a committee can choose not to bring up the bill for a vote before the committee or a full house and thus let it expire. The chairs of the Finance Committee in the Senate and

3712-414: 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

3776-488: 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

3840-450: 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

3904-531: The throne upon the State Opening of Parliament is made before a joint sitting of both Houses. This occurs in the House of Lords, the upper chamber, due to the constitutional convention that the monarch never enters the House of Commons. The closing of each of parliamentary session is also marked by a speech to both Houses. The State of the Union Address of the president of the United States

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3968-728: The total number of members and senators in order to pass. The only example of this occurring was the Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament of 1974 under the Whitlam Labor government, at which six deadlocked bills were passed. Because the House has twice as many members as the Senate, the former has an advantage in a joint sitting. However, the voting system used for the Senate before 1949, which might be called "multiple at-large voting", often led to landslide if not wipe-out results in each state, resulting in

4032-529: The vote in any State to obtain a four-two majority of seats in that state, whereas from 51% to 56% of the vote yields only an equality of three seats to each major party or group. The Federal Assembly is a formal joint session of the two houses of the bicameral Austrian Parliament , to swear the elected President of Austria into office. The Chamber of Representatives and the Senate convene as United Chambers ( Dutch : Verenigde Kamers ; French : Chambres réunies ; German : Vereinigten Kammern ) to swear

4096-539: Was 85%. That year the Associated Press stated that this "raises questions about the ability of American voters to hold their elected representatives accountable." 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

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