23-472: Minority The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly , the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania . There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It is the largest full-time state legislature in the country. The New Hampshire House of Representatives is larger but only serves part-time. Representatives must be at least 21 years of age. They must be
46-584: A Senate with 50 members and a House of Representatives with 203 members, making it the second-largest state legislature in the nation, behind New Hampshire , and the largest full-time legislature. Senators are elected for a term of four years. Representatives are elected for a term of two years. The Pennsylvania general elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. A vacant seat must be filled by special election,
69-594: A U.S. citizen and a Pennsylvania resident four years, and a resident of the district they represent one year prior to their election and must reside in that district during their term. The Hall of the House contains important symbols of Pennsylvania history and the work of legislators. The speakership is the oldest elected statewide office in the Commonwealth. Since its first session in 1682—presided over by William Penn —over 130 house members have been elevated to
92-801: Is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania . The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg . In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and was unicameral . Since the Constitution of 1776 , the legislature has been known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly became a bicameral legislature in 1791. The General Assembly has 253 members, consisting of
115-409: The 1968 constitution, Milton Shapp was the first governor to serve two terms, and Tom Corbett was the first incumbent governor to lose a re-election bid. If the office of governor becomes vacant through death, resignation, or conviction on impeachment, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term; if the office is only temporarily vacant due to disability of the governor,
138-402: The 19th century, the culture of corruption in the General Assembly got so bad that from 1866 to 1873, about 8,700 of 9,300 acts passed in that timeframe were local or special acts. The frustration of the people of the Commonwealth with its legislature finally boiled over in 1871 and resulted in a 1873 constitutional convention and a 1874 constitutional amendment. One of the amendment's reforms
161-481: The Continental Congress . The shortest term belonged to John C. Bell Jr. , who served only 19 days as acting governor after his predecessor, Edward Martin , resigned. The current governor is Josh Shapiro , who took office on January 17, 2023. Pennsylvania was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on December 12, 1787. Before it declared its independence, Pennsylvania
184-502: The House of Representatives : Joanna McClinton ( D ) Governor of Pennsylvania The governor of Pennsylvania is the head of government of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania , as well as commander-in-chief of the state's national guard . The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to approve or veto bills passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly , as well as to convene
207-412: The chief executive in such times as the vice-president, without any notion of succeeding in the presidency. One acting president, George Bryan , was subsequently recognized later as a full-fledged governor, due to his acting as president for over six months. The 1790 constitution abolished the council and replaced the president with a governor, and established a three-year term for governor commencing on
230-543: The committee, is appointed by the other four and may not be an elected or appointed official. If the leadership cannot decide on a fifth member, the State Supreme Court may appoint him or her. While in office, legislators may not hold civil office. Even if a member resigns, the Constitution states that the legislator may not be appointed to civil office for the duration of the term to which the legislator
253-548: The consent of both chambers. The Pennsylvania General Assembly has a lengthy history as one of the most openly corrupt state legislatures in the United States, going back over two centuries to the era of the Thirteen Colonies . In 1794, while visiting western Pennsylvania , Alexander Hamilton wrote to Rufus King : "The political putrefaction of Pennsylvania is greater than I had any idea of". During
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#1732764710347276-696: The consent of the other. The governor may call a special session in order to press for legislation on important issues. As of 2017, only 35 special sessions have been called in the history of Pennsylvania. The Assembly meets in the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg , which was completed in 1906. Under the Pennsylvania Constitution , the Assembly must meet in the City of Harrisburg and can move only if given
299-413: The date of which is set by the presiding officer of the respective house. Senators must be at least 25 years old, and Representatives at least 21 years old. They must be citizens and residents of the state for a minimum of four years and reside in their districts for at least one year. Individuals who have been convicted of felonies, including embezzlement, bribery, and perjury, are ineligible for election;
322-534: The legislature. The governor may grant pardons except in cases of impeachment , but only when recommended by the Board of Pardons. There have been seven presidents and 48 governors of Pennsylvania, with two governors ( Robert E. Pattison and Gifford Pinchot ) serving non-consecutive terms, totaling 55 terms in both offices. The longest term was that of the first governor, Thomas Mifflin , who served three full terms as governor in addition to two years as President of
345-404: The lieutenant governor only acts out the duties of governor. Should both offices be vacant, the president pro tempore of the state senate becomes governor. The position of a lieutenant governor was created in the 1874 constitution; prior to then, the speaker of the senate would act as governor in cases of vacancy. Originally, the lieutenant governor could only act as governor; it was not until
368-602: The necessary exception. This is why Pennsylvania remains the only U.S. state that has not yet completed a comprehensive codification of its general statutory law. Since 1970, Pennsylvania has been undertaking its first official codification process, resulting in the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes . With over 300 years of uncodified statutes to go through, the codification process is still not yet complete after over five decades of work. President Pro Tempore : Kim Ward (R) Speaker of
391-484: The speaker's chair. The house cannot hold an official session in the absence of the speaker or their designated speaker pro tempore. Speaker Leroy Irvis was the first African American elected speaker of any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. Speaker Dennis O'Brien was the only minority-party Speaker known in Pennsylvania and only the second known nationwide. Democrat Joanna McClinton
414-456: The state Constitution also adds the category of "other infamous crimes," which can be broadly interpreted by state courts. No one who has been previously expelled from the General Assembly may be elected. Legislative districts are drawn every ten years, following the U.S. Census . They are drawn by a five-member commission, of which four members are the majority and minority leaders of each house (or their delegates). The fifth member, who chairs
437-660: The third Tuesday of the December following the election, with governors not allowed to serve more than nine out of any twelve years. The 1838 constitution moved the start of the term to the third Tuesday of the January following the election, and allowed governors to only serve six out of any nine years. The 1874 constitution lengthened the term to four years, and prohibited governors from succeeding themselves. The current constitution of 1968 changed this to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms, with no lifetime limit. Under
460-622: Was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain . The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 created the Supreme Executive Council as the state's executive branch, with a president as its head. The president was chosen annually by the council, though with no specific term dates. The constitution created the position of "vice-president", though no provision was made if the office of the president became vacant, which occurred four times later. Contemporary sources continue to label
483-534: Was elected Speaker of the House on February 28, 2023, becoming the first female Speaker in Pennsylvania. As of November 13, 2024: As of November 13, 2024: Speaker of the House of Representatives : Joanna McClinton ( D ) As of September 17, 2024: As of May 1, 2024: 40°15′50″N 76°53′00″W / 40.26389°N 76.88333°W / 40.26389; -76.88333 Pennsylvania General Assembly Minority Minority The Pennsylvania General Assembly
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#1732764710347506-492: Was elected. The General Assembly is a continuing body within the term for which its representatives are elected. It convenes at 12 o'clock noon on the first Tuesday of January each year and then meets regularly throughout the year. Both houses adjourn on November 30 in even-numbered years, when the terms of all members of the House and half the members of the Senate expire. Neither body can adjourn for more than three days without
529-487: Was to prohibit the General Assembly from writing statutes covering more than one subject . Unfortunately, the amendment (today found at Section 3 of Article III of the Pennsylvania Constitution) was so poorly written that it also prevented the General Assembly from undertaking a comprehensive codification of the Commonwealth's statutes until another amendment was pushed through in 1967 to provide
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