The document provides an overview of state legislatures, covering key topics such as lawmaking, representation, constituent services, oversight of the executive branch, appropriations, impeachment, legislative structure and size, professionalism, and corruption scandals. It also discusses redistricting, the role of committees, and different models of political representation in legislatures.

1. POL 240-01
Fall 2015

3. ATour of State Legislatures

9. LAWMAKING
 Creation of Policy
 1,000 laws in single session
 10-12 bills per legislator
 Total: Considering 101,000
bills and passing 19,000
 Revising constitutions and
ratifying amendments
REPRESENTATION
 Representation of Interests
 Components of
Representation

10. CONSTITUENT SERVICE
 Personalized services to
citizens
 What does legislative work
entail?
OVERSIGHT
 Role in legislative process
 Committee Role
 Examples of Oversight
 Conflict with Executive
Agencies
 Impact of “Sunset” Laws

11. APPROPRIATIONS
 Approving State Budgets
 The “Power of the Purse”
IMPEACHMENT
 What is impeachment?
 Stages of Impeachment
 #1: Impeachment
 #2:Trial
 State Examples
 Why is impeachment rare?

13. Name, Number, andType of Chamber

14.  Legislature
 State Legislature
 General Assembly
 General Court
Kansas
Utah
Kentucky
New
Hampshire

15.  Lower House
 House of Representatives
 House of Delegates
 State Assembly
 GeneralAssembly
 Upper House
 Senate or State Senate

16. “The Unicameral”
Senator
George Norris
(R-NE)

18.  Shift from biennial to annual sessions
 Biennial: 31  6; Annual: 19  44
 Changes in overall size
 Slight decrease in state legislators
 About 7,400 state legislators today
 Changes in legislative membership
 Some states have increased their membership, while
others have decreased over time

20. LARGER LEGISLATURES
 Fewer Members =
Fewer Constituents
 One-Party Dominance
 The Legislative Process
 Population and Legislative
Costs
SMALLER LEGISLATURES
 Competitive Elections
 Legislator Role
 Discussion and Debate
 Decrease in committees

24. PEVERILL SQUIRE
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
COMPONENTS OF
SQUIRE MEASURE
 1) Member Salary and Benefits
 2)Time in Session
 3) Staff and Resources
What is the impact
for individual legislators and
the legislature as a whole?

26.  Professional Legislatures
 No extra income
 80% + of full-time job
 Large staff
 Similar to Congress
 Higher population
An example of a
professional legislature
is California.

27.  Professional or Full-Time Legislatures
 Hybrid Legislatures
 Prefer extra income
 66.6% of full-time job
 Intermediate staff
 Middle of population
A hybrid legislature
exists in Louisiana.

28.  Professional or Full-Time Legislatures
 Hybrid Legislatures
 Citizen Legislatures
 Require extra income
 50% of full-time job
 Small staff
 Smaller, more rural states
Nevada is an example
of a citizen legislature.

34.  F = Functional
 Has time, staff, and rules to conduct business
 A = Accountable
 Process open and accessible to public
 I = Informed
 Committees and staff; Review of executive branch
 I = Independent
 Runs own affairs; Oversight, Manages Conflict, Lobbyists
 R = Representative
 Diverse membership (social, economic, ethnic characteristics)

36.  Constitutional Basis
 Powers for House and Senate
 Structure
 Size
 38 Senate Districts; 100 House Districts
 Partisan Composition
 Democrats control House; Republicans control Senate
 Professionalism
 Time in Session
 Member Salary and Benefits
 Staff and Resources

37.  FBI investigation into corruption
among General Assembly
 Legislators accepted bribes to
support horse-racing legislation
 What was the “BOP?”
 What was the “TROT?”
 Revealed how cheaply
legislators would sell votes
 Conviction of sitting Speaker of
the House and fourteen
Assembly members
 After BOPTROT, reform
legislation passed in 1993

38.  Began in 1948
 Nonpartisan agency
 Provides policy
research, bill drafting,
educational materials,
website maintenance

40.  State Legislature
 System used in most states
 District lines subject to majority in legislature and veto by governor
 Advisory Commission
 Advise legislature about boundaries
 Backup Commission
 Draw district lines if state legislature does not pass a plan
 Politician Commission
 Elected state officials (not just legislators) may serve as members
 Independent Commission

42.  Splintering
 Dividing up and diluting lines to deny it power to elect representative
 Packing
 Concentrating partisan voters in single district to “waste” their votes
for single representative and protect modest majorities by party in
other districts
 Cracking
 Splintering or dividing up sizable minority group into several districts
to deny it enough voting strength to elect representative
 Racial Gerrymandering
 Partisan Gerrymandering

43.  Is this a district I can win?
 Can I beat my opponent?
 Issue of Incumbency Advantage
 Can I get money to run winning campaign?
 How are the national and state trends
running?

44. “Vaupel backs revisions to state term limits”
Salter: State term limits still bad public policy”

46.  Status
 Occupation
 Education
 Age
 Wealth

47.  African-American Representation
 Elected in majority black districts
 Impact on civil rights issues
 Hispanic Representation
 3% of all state legislators (14% ofVAP)
 Female Representation
 Significant gains in occupying legislative seats (24%)
 Serve in leadership posts (committee chairs)

48. STATE HOUSE STATE SENATE
House members
represent districts.
Senators
represent districts.

49. DELEGATE
REPRESENTATION
 Representative follows
wishes and preferences of
their constituents
TRUSTEE REPRESENTATION
 Representative listens to
their constituents
 Makes up own mind on
best course of action

51. FORMALISTIC
REPRESENTATION
 Accountability and
responsiveness
 Includes:
 Policy Representation
 Allocative Representation
 Casework
Casework includes helping constituents
with an array of services.

52. SYMBOLIC
REPRESENTATION
 Represents positive values
about politics and govt.
DESCRIPTIVE
REPRESENTATION
 Representation includes
race, ethnicity, gender
 State legislatures should
look like America.
Do they?
President Obama speaks
to students in Arlington, VA

54. SUBSTANTIVE
REPRESENTATION
SEN. ERNESTO SCARSONE
(D-FAYETTE)
 Legislators advocate for
particular groups in society
Sen. Scarsone could
advocate for pro-LGBT policies
for all homosexuals in Kentucky,
whether or not they are in his district.

57.  Standing Committees
 Permanent Committees
 Major Policy Areas (e.g.Appropriations, Education)
 Importance of Rules Committee
 Select or Special Committees
 Temporary Committees (e.g. investigations)
 Focused on narrow issues
 Joint Committees
 Membership from both chambers
 Conference Committees
 Resolve House and Senate versions of passed legislation