Summary
The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI of the West Virginia Constitution following the state’s split from Virginia during the American Civil War in 1863. As with its neighbor and former constituent Virginia General Assembly, the legislature’s lower house is also referred to as a “House of Delegates.”
The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Charleston.
Source: Wikipedia
OnAir Post: WV Legislature
News
Politico, – April 30, 2021
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said Friday that he didn’t know of any examples of transgender athletes trying to gain an unfair advantage in sports despite signing a bill Wednesday barring transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s athletics.
MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle pressed the governor on the new law Friday morning, following up with Justice, a Republican, after he responded that he did not “have that experience exactly to myself right now” when asked for an example in his state where a transgender athlete gained an unfair advantage in women’s or girls’ sports.
“Can you give me one example of a transgender child trying to get an unfair advantage, just one, in your state? You signed a bill about it,” Ruhle said.
About
Source: Wikipedia
Terms
Senators are elected for terms of four years and delegates for terms of two years. These terms are staggered, meaning that not all 34 State Senate seats are up every election: some are elected presidential election years and some are up during midterm elections.[1]
Organization
Regular sessions of the legislature commence on the second Wednesday of January of each year. However, following the election of a new governor, the session starts in January with the governor’s address but then adjourns until February. On the first day of the session, members of both the House and the Senate sit in joint session in the House chamber where the governor presents his or her legislative program. The length of the general session may not go beyond 60 calendar days unless extended by a concurrent resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of each house. The governor may convene the Legislature for extraordinary sessions. Given the part-time nature of the legislature of West Virginia, multiple extraordinary sessions are not uncommon.
Legislative process
Bills, even revenue bills, and resolutions may originate in either house.[1] Bills must undergo three readings in each house before being sent to the governor.[1] Bills cannot contain multiple subjects and do not take effect until 90 days following adjournment, unless specifically approved to take effect immediately by two-thirds of the membership of each house.[1]
Bills are drafted by the Office of Legislative Services or legislative staff counsel, reviewed by the sponsor of the bill and submitted for introduction to the clerk of the chamber of which he or she is a member.[2] Bills are assigned to committees that make recommendations about a bill in the form of a committee report.[2]
The governor has the power to veto bills.[1] For budget bills or supplementary appropriations bills, two-thirds of the members elected to each house are required to override the governor’s veto of a bill or line-item veto.[1] For all other bills, a simple majority of each house is required.[1]
See also
- West Virginia House of Delegates
- West Virginia Senate
- West Virginia State Capitol
- List of members of the 80th West Virginia House of Delegates
- List of members of the 80th West Virginia Senate
References
- West Virginia Constitution, West Virginia Legislature(accessed May 29, 2013)
- How a Bill Becomes Law, West Virginia State Legislature
External links
Wikipedia
Contents
The West Virginia Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of West Virginia. A bicameral legislative body, the legislature is split between the upper Senate and the lower House of Delegates. It was established under Article VI of the West Virginia Constitution following the state's split from Virginia during the American Civil War in 1863. As with its neighbor and former constituent Virginia General Assembly, the legislature's lower house is also referred to as a "House of Delegates."
The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Charleston.
Terms
Senators are elected for terms of four years and delegates for terms of two years. The term for Senators are staggered, meaning that not all 34 State Senate seats are up every election: some are elected in presidential election years and some are up during midterm elections.[1]
Organization
Regular sessions of the legislature commence on the second Wednesday of January of each year. However, following the election of a new governor, the session starts in January with the governor's address but then adjourns until February. On the first day of the session, members of both the House and the Senate sit in joint session in the House chamber where the governor presents his or her legislative program. The length of the general session may not go beyond 60 calendar days unless extended by a concurrent resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of each house. The governor may convene the Legislature for extraordinary sessions. Given the part-time nature of the legislature of West Virginia, multiple extraordinary sessions are not uncommon.
Legislative process
Bills, even revenue bills, and resolutions may originate in either house.[1] Bills must undergo three readings in each house before being sent to the governor.[1] Bills cannot contain multiple subjects and do not take effect until 90 days following adjournment, unless specifically approved to take effect immediately by two-thirds of the membership of each house.[1]
Bills are drafted by the Office of Legislative Services or legislative staff counsel, reviewed by the sponsor of the bill and submitted for introduction to the clerk of the chamber of which the sponsor is a member.[2] Bills are assigned to committees that make recommendations about a bill in the form of a committee report.[2]
The governor has the power to veto bills.[1] For budget bills or supplementary appropriations bills, two-thirds of the members elected to each house are required to override the governor's veto of a bill or line-item veto.[1] For all other bills, a simple majority of each house is required.[1]
See also
- West Virginia House of Delegates
- West Virginia Senate
- West Virginia State Capitol
- List of members of the 85th West Virginia Legislature
- List of West Virginia state legislatures
References
- ^ a b c d e f g West Virginia Constitution Archived January 12, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, West Virginia Legislature Archived April 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 29, 2013)
- ^ a b How a Bill Becomes Law Archived May 15, 2024, at the Wayback Machine, West Virginia State Legislature Archived May 15, 2024, at the Wayback Machine