The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative A legislature is a type of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. Legislatures are known by many names, the most common being parliament and congress, although these terms also have more specific meanings. In parliamentary systems of government, branch of the government A government is the organization, or agency through which a political unit exercises its authority, controls and administers public policy, and directs and controls the actions of its members or subjects of the U.S. ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language state A U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of commonwealth rather than state. State citizenship is of New Jersey The area was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, with historical tribes such as the Lenape along the coast. In the early 1600s, the Dutch and the Swedes made the first European settlements. The English later seized control of the region, naming it the Province of New Jersey. It was granted as a colony to Sir George Carteret. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average populations of 210,359 (2000 figures). To be eligible to run, a potential candidate must be at least 21 years of age, and must have lived and the Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the State Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947 Constitution changed the term to four years. Since 1968 it. The Legislature meets in the New Jersey State House The New Jersey State House is located in Trenton and is the seat of government for the U.S. state of New Jersey. After the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis, it is the second oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States. The building is currently home to the New Jersey Senate, New Jersey General Assembly, as well as, in the state capital Washington, D.C., has been the capital of the United States since 1800. Eight other cities have served as the meeting place for Congress and are therefore considered to have once been the capital of the United States. In addition, each of the 50 U.S. states and the five principal territories of the United States maintains its own capital of Trenton Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of 2008, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the city of Trenton had a population of 82,883.
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History
Before the Legislature and the Constitution of 1776
In 1775, representatives from New Jersey's 13 counties established a Provincial Congress to supersede the Royal Governor This is a list of governors of the Province of New Jersey, including the period of its division into West Jersey and East Jersey, up to the American Revolution. In June 1776, this congress had authorized the preparation of a constitution, which was written within five days, adopted by the Provincial Congress, and accepted by the Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution. The Congress met from 1774 to 1789 in three incarnations. The Constitution of 1776 provided for a bicameral In government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses. Bicameralism is an essential and defining feature of the classical notion of mixed government. Bicameral legislatures tend to require a legislature consisting of a General Assembly with three members from each county and a Legislative Council with one member from each county. All state officials, including the governor The Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The current holder of that office is Chris Christie. He assumed office on January 19, 2010, were to be appointed by the Legislature under this constitution. The Vice-President of Council would succeed the Governor This is a list of those who have served as Governor of New Jersey from 1776 to the present. Traditionally, only elected governors are considered in the numeration of the governors, hence William Livingston is often given the honor of being the first Governor of New Jersey. However, legislation signed on January 10, 2006 allowed those acting (who was the President of the Council) if a vacancy occurred in that office.
Accordingly, the first session of the Legislature convened on August 27, 1776. Legislative politics was defined in the following years by an intense rivalry between the Federalists The Federalist Party was an American political party in the period 1792 to 1816, with remnants lasting into the 1820s. The Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801. The party was formed by Alexander Hamilton, who, during George Washington's first term, built a network of supporters, largely urban, to support his fiscal policies, and later the Whigs The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from 1833 to 1856, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party. In particular, the Whigs supported the supremacy of Congress over (which dominated South Jersey and Essex, Hudson, and Middlesex Counties), and the Democratic Party The Democratic-Republican Party was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison around 1792. Supporters usually identified themselves as Republicans, but sometimes as Democrats. The term "Democratic Republican" was also used by contemporaries, but mostly by the party's opponents. It was the dominant political party in the United States (which was prominent in the northwest, the Shore region, and Bergen County).[1][2]
The Constitution of 1844
The New Jersey Constitution of 1844 provided for a direct popular election of the governor, and gave him the power to veto bills passed by the Legislature. The General Assembly was expanded to 60 members, elected annually and apportioned to the counties based on population. The Legislative Council was renamed the Senate, and was to be composed of one member from each of the state's 19 counties, serving a three-year term.
During the Civil War Union blockade – Eastern – Western – Lower Seaboard – Trans-Mississippi – Pacific Coast, party allegiance became entrenched. Democrats The Democratic Party is one of the world's oldest political parties and is the party with the lengthiest record of continuous operation in the United States. It also is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party usually won both houses until the Republicans The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. The party's platform is generally considered right of center gained control in 1893. A court ruling obtained by the Republicans provided that members of the General Assembly were to be elected from the counties at-large, rather than from election districts of unequal population.
Regardless of any changes, the Legislature met infrequently, had high turnover among its members, and was far from being the most influential or powerful organ of state government.[3]
The Constitution of 1947 and modern developments
New Jersey adopted its current constitution in 1947. Under this constitution, the governor was given additional veto powers and the ability to serve two terms. Hundreds of independent agencies were consolidated into 20 principal executive departments under the control of the governor. Senators' terms were extended to four years; assemblymen's terms to two years.
In 1966, the Senate was expanded from 21 to 40 members and the General Assembly from 60 to 80. Following a United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate. Once appointed, Justices effectively decision in 1964 and a New Jersey Supreme Court The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776. The main difference between the versions, the composition of the court, reflects the change in jurisprudence from the colonial British decision in 1972, the state's legislative districts were reapportioned into the current arrangement. Two more modern developments have also helped shape the Legislature: the increase in importance of legislative committees and the development of longer tenures for the legislative leadership.[4]
Organization
New Jersey Legislative Districts as of the 2001 redistricting. Inset of North Jersey Legislative Districts as of the 2001 redistricting.Powers
The Legislature has the power to enact laws by a majority vote of both houses, subject to the Governor of New Jersey The Governor of New Jersey is the chief executive of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The current holder of that office is Chris Christie. He assumed office on January 19, 2010's ability to veto A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to stop unilaterally a piece of legislation. In practice, the veto can be absolute or limited (as in the legislative process of the United States, where a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate may override a Presidential veto of legislation) a bill. A veto may be overridden by the Legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in favor of overriding in each House.
By a three-fifths vote of each house, the Legislature may propose an amendment to the State Constitution. Alternatively, it may propose an amendment by a majority vote two consecutive years. In either case, the referendum is placed on the ballot and must be approved in a referendum A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of direct democracy. The measure put to a vote is to become valid as a part of the constitution.
The Legislature is also empowered to ratify amendments to the U.S. Constitution, appoint the State Auditor, judge the elections and qualifications of its members, and institute and conduct impeachment proceedings against State officials. The Senate has the sole authority to confirm or reject gubernatorial nominees for judicial and some executive positions.[5]
Houses, members, and qualifications
The current incarnation of the Legislature is outlined by Article IV ("Legislative") of the New Jersey State Constitution 1947. The Legislature is composed of an 80-member General Assembly, and a 40-member Senate. An individual must be at least 21 years old, must have resided in the state for the past two years, and must live in the district he represents in order to become an Assemblyman. To become a Senator, an individual must be 30 years old, have lived in the state for the past four years, and again must live in the district he represents.[6]
Elections and terms
Unlike elections for most other state legislatures and for the United States Congress The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C, New Jersey legislative elections are held in November of every odd-numbered year. Assemblymen serve two-year terms, while Senators serve four-year terms, except in the first term of a new decade, which only lasts two years. This "2-4-4" cycle was put into place so Senate elections can reflect changes made to district boundaries following the decennial United States Census The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. Some states or local jurisdictions also conduct local censuses. If this cycle were not in place, then the boundaries could at times be up to four years out of date before being used for Senate elections. Under the current system, the boundaries are only ever two years out of date.
The New Jersey Constitution provides that each Legislature is constituted for a term of two years, split into two annual sessions. Because the Constitution also specifies that all business from the first year may be continued into the second year, the distinction between the two annual sessions is more ceremonial than actual. The two-year legislative term begins at noon on the second Tuesday in January of each even-numbered year, which for the 2008-2010 term was on January 8, 2008. At the end of the second year, all unfinished business expires.[7]
Service in the Legislature is considered part-time, and most legislators have other employment.[8] In New Jersey, legislators may also concurrently hold another elected office at the county or municipal level. The practice, which is frequently referred to as "double dipping", has recently been banned by the Legislature, although the 19 legislators holding multiple offices as of February 1, 2008 were grandfathered into the system.[9]
Leadership
The General Assembly is headed by a Speaker, while the Senate is headed by a President. Each house also has a Majority Leader, a Minority Leader, assistant Leaders, and whips The whip is a role in party politics whose primary purpose is to ensure control of the formal decision-making process in a parliamentary legislature. Whips are party 'enforcers', who typically offer both inducements and punishments to party members. In modern times, most whips are concerned primarily with ensuring a desired attendance for an.
Legislative districts
Main article: New Jersey Legislative Districts, 2001 redistrictingThe members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen from 40 electoral districts. Each district elects one Senator and two Assemblymen. New Jersey is one of only seven U.S. states (with Arizona The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators. The state legislature meets in the Capitol Complex in the state capital, Phoenix, Idaho The Idaho Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Idaho. It consists of the upper Idaho Senate and the lower Idaho House of Representatives. The Idaho Senate contains 35 Senators, who are elected from 35 districts. The Idaho House of Representatives consists of 70 Representatives, who are elected from the same 35 legislative, Maryland The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives. The General Assembly meets each year for 90 days to act on more than 2300 bills including, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators) in which districts for the upper and lower house of the legislature are coterminous. Districts are redefined decennially by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission following each U.S. Census The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. Some states or local jurisdictions also conduct local censuses, as provided by Article IV, Section III of the State Constitution.
Current legislature
The sitting Legislature is the 214th Legislature of the State of New Jersey. Currently, the Democrats are the majority party in both Houses. In the Senate there are 23 Democrats and 17 Republicans. There are 47 Democrats and 33 Republicans serving in the General Assembly.
Senate
Main article: New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the State Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947 Constitution changed the term to four years. Since 1968 itGeneral Assembly
Main article: New Jersey General Assembly Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average populations of 210,359 (2000 figures). To be eligible to run, a potential candidate must be at least 21 years of age, and must have lived| This section requires expansion. |
External links
- New Jersey Legislature
- New Jersey Senate Republicans
- New Jersey Senate Democrats
- New Jersey Assembly Republicans
- New Jersey Assembly Democrats
References
- ^ "The New Jersey Constitution of 1776". http://www.state.nj.us/njfacts/njdoc10.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
- ^ "New Jersey Legislature, Historical Information". http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/history.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ^ "New Jersey Legislature, Historical Information". http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/history.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ^ "New Jersey Legislature, Historical Information". http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/history.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ^ "New Jersey Legislature – Our Legislature"
- ^ "New Jersey Constitution 1947". http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/lawsconstitution/constitution.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ^ "New Jersey Constitution 1947". http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/lawsconstitution/constitution.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ^ "New Jersey Legislature – Our Legislature"
- ^ "Double-dipping continues, increases after ban", South Jersey News Online, March 24, 2008. Accessed June 22, 2008. "Since Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed a ban on dual-office holding in September, the number of lawmakers who hold more than one office has actually increased -- from 17 to 19 -- according to a report by The Star-Ledger of Newark. That's because a grandfather clause allows any lawmaker holding two offices as of Feb. 1 to keep both."
Categories: New Jersey Legislature
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