How
Does the Legislature Work?
Who
Can Be a Legislator in North Carolina?
Every
North Carolina voter is eligible to run for public office if he/she
meets the following requirements.
Requirements
for a Senator are:
must
be at least 25 years old
must
be a qualified voter in the state
lived
in the State as a citizen for two years
lived
in the district for which he/she is chosen for one year immediately
preceding the election
Requirements
for a Representative are:
must be
a qualified voter in the state
lived
in the district for which he/she is chosen for one year immediately
preceding the election
How
Many Legislators Are There?
| Senators |
50 |
Two
year term |
| Representatives |
120 |
Two
year term |
How
Does the Legislature Work?
Laws
of North Carolina, known as statutes, are made
by the General Assembly. The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA)
is made of two bodies or houses; the Senate, which has 50 members;
and the House of Representatives, which consists of 120 members.
Each legislator represents either a Senatorial District or a House
District and serves a two year term.
The General Assembly meets in regular session beginning in January
of each odd-numbered year, and adjourns to reconvene the following
even-numbered year for a shorter session.
The Senate and the House of Representatives meet in their respective
chambers on Monday evenings; in the middle of the day (usually at
1:30) on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; and on Friday mornings.
The members return to their homes to take care of their affairs
and be available to their constituents during the weekend. During
the week, committee meetings are held in the morning and late afternoon.
A great deal of the legislative work is done in the committee meetings.
The House of Representatives is presided over by a Speaker, elected
from its membership. The presiding officer of the Senate (called
the President of the Senate) is the Lieutenant Governor of the State.
He has no vote in the Senate except to break a tie. The Senate and
House also elect other officers from their respective memberships
including a President Pro Tempore in the Senate and a Speaker Pro
Tempore in the House.
At the beginning of each session, the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives appoint members
to serve on the standing committees of each body. There will be
a dozen or more committees for each body, and their work is very
important, as every bill introduced will be studied by at least
one committee in the Senate and in the House of Representatives.
Every legislator serves on several committees.
Each house elects a Principal Clerk who is responsible for keeping
the necessary records of the house. Each also elects a Sergeant
at Arms, who serves as "police officer" for his house and whose
assistants act as doorkeepers while the body and its committees
are meeting. A third officer is the Reading Clerk who reads all
documents or parts thereof which the rules or the presiding officer
require to be read during the daily session.
The Legislative Services Commission, consisting of seven members of each house,
is the management authority for the General Assembly. The Commission, through
its Legislative Services Officer and staff, provides the following services
to the legislature; bill drafting, legal assistance, fiscal analysis, general
research and library services, administration of the legislature's budget,
clerical assistance, computer services, proofreading, printing, supply, food
service, and building maintenance and security.
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