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Connecticut House of Representatives
| Connecticut House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2013 session start: | January 9, 2013 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | J. Brendan Sharkey, (D) |
| Majority Leader: | Joe Aresimowicz, (D) |
| Minority leader: | Lawrence Cafero, (R) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 151 |
| Democratic Party (98) Republican Party (52) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Art III, Connecticut Constitution |
| Salary: | $28,000/year |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 6, 2012 (151 seats) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 (151 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Connecticut Legislature has control |
Meeting place: | |
Contents |
The House convenes within the Connecticut State Capitol in Hartford.
In odd-numbered years, legislative sessions begin on the Wednesday following the first Monday in January and adjourn no later than the first Wednesday following the first Monday in June. In even-numbered years, legislative essions begin on the Wednesday following the first Monday in February, adjourning no later than the first Wednesday following the first Monday in May.
As of May 2013, Connecticut is one of 12 Democratic state government trifectas.
Sessions
Article III of the Connecticut Constitution establishes when the Connecticut State Legislature, which the House of Representatives is a part of, is to be in session. Section 2 of Article III states that, in odd-numbered years, the Legislature shall convene its regular session on the Wednesday after the first Monday in January. Section 2 requires regular sessions in odd-numbered years to adjourn by the Wednesday after the first Monday in June.
The Constitution does not establish when the Legislature is supposed to meet in even-numbered years, so these dates are established by law. In even-numbered years, the Legislature convenes on the Wednesday following the first Monday in February, pending the decision of the Legislature, and it must adjourn by the Wednesday after the first Monday in May.[3]
2013
- See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions
In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 9 through June 5.
Major issues
Following the Newton shootings, gun control is expected to take center stage. Other major issues include a $1.2 billion budget deficit, genetically modified foods and alcohol pricing.[4]
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the House of Representatives was in session from February 8 to May 9.
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the House of Representatives was in session from January 5 through June 8. Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy convened both houses in a special session to address budget cuts on June 30. [5]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the House of Representatives was in session from February 3rd to May 5th.
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of Connecticut House of Representatives were held in Connecticut on November 6, 2012. All 151 seats were up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was February 6, 2012 at 12 p.m. The primary date was February 7, 2012.
The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election.
| 2012 Margin of Victory, Connecticut House of Representatives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Winner | Margin of Victory | Total Votes | Top Opponent |
| District 106 |  Mitch Bolinsky |
0.1% | 11,439 | Lisa Romano |
| District 105 |  Theresa W. Conroy |
0.8% | 10,244 | Len Greene, Jr. |
| District 89 | Lezlye Zupkus |
1.9% | 12,225 | Vickie Orsini Nardello |
| District 81 | David Zoni |
2.9% | 10,589 | Cheryl Lounsbury |
| District 21 | Mike Demicco |
3.9% | 11,911 | Bill Wadsworth |
| District 119 | James Maroney |
4.1% | 11,526 | Pam Staneski |
| District 2 | Dan Carter |
4.1% | 10,263 | Steven B. DeMoura |
| District 144 | Michael Molgano |
4.2% | 9,758 | Michael Pollard |
| District 42 | Timothy R. Bowles |
4.3% | 9,173 | Mike France |
| District 67 | Cecilia Buck-Taylor |
4.4% | 10,360 | Andrew B. Grossman |
2010
Elections for the office of Connecticut State House were held in Connecticut on November 2, 2010. Elections were held in all 151 districts.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was June 8 for candidates of either the Republican or Democratic parties and August 4 for others such as independents. The primary election day was August 10, 2010.
In 2010, the total amount raised by candidates running for office was $7,114,872. The top 10 overall campaign contributors were: [6]
| 2010 Donors, Connecticut House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| Donor | Amount |
| Public Fund | $5,205,685 |
| Public Fund | $92,790 |
| Speakers Leadership Cmte | $70,683 |
| House Democratic Caucus Cmte | $55,636 |
| Hauser, Debra | $44,200 |
| Mahoney, Dennis E | $20,250 |
| House Democrats Caucus Cmte of Connecticut | $18,295 |
| Candelora, Vincent J | $14,106 |
| Working Families Party | $13,910 |
| Connecticut House Democratic Majority | $8,031 |
Qualifications
Article III, Section 4 of the Connecticut Constitution states: The house of representatives shall consist of not less than one hundred twenty-five and not more than two hundred twenty-five members, each of whom shall be an elector residing in the assembly district from which he is elected. Each assembly district shall be contiguous as to territory and shall elect no more than one representative. For the purpose of forming assembly districts no town shall be divided except for the purpose of forming assembly districts wholly within the town.
Elections
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the House, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat. The Governor must call for an election no later than 10 days after the vacancy happened. All special elections must be held no later than 46 days after a Governor's declaration. If the vacancy happened with less than 125 days left before the general election, the special election must be held on the same day as the general election. No election can be called by the Governor if the vacancy happened with less than 49 days before the general election[7].
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Connecticut
The General Assembly is responsible for redistricting. The legislature appoints a bipartisan committee to draw new maps, which are then presented to both chambers for a 2/3 majority vote. Should the legislature fail to meet its deadline, a nine-member commission is appointed to assume the task. Should the commission miss its own deadline, the task then falls on the Connecticut Supreme Court.
2010 census
Connecticut's population grew 4.9% from 2000 to 2010. The Assembly failed to adopt a plan in time, and the commission that took over the process barely passed one in time itself, finishing a House map with two days to go, and a Senate map leaving just hours to spare.
Representatives
Leadership
The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House resolution. In addition to presiding over the body, the Speaker is also its chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the chamber.[8]
Current leadership
| Current Leadership, Connecticut House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Representative | Party |
| Speaker | J. Brendan Sharkey |  Democratic
|
| State House Majority Leader | Joe Aresimowicz | Democratic
|
| State House Minority Leader | Lawrence Cafero |  Republican
|
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 99 | |
| Republican Party | 52 | |
| Total | 151 | |
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Connecticut State House of Representatives from 1992-2013.
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2013, members of the Connecticut legislature are paid $28,000 per year. They receive no per diem.[9]
When sworn in
Connecticut legislators assume office the Wednesday following the first Monday of the January next succeeding their election.
Current members
Standing Committees
- See also: General Assembly Committees
Unique among the 50 state legislatures, in Connecticut, all legislative committees are joint committees of the upper house and lower house.
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
From 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Connecticut State House of Representatives. The Connecticut State House is one of 18 state Houses that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. During the final three years Connecticut was under Democratic trifectas.
Across the country, there were 579 Democratic and 482 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992-2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states have divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Connecticut, the Connecticut State Senate and the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1992-2013.
.PNG)
External links
- Official website of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- Official list of the current members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- Connecticut House Republican Caucus
- Connecitcut House Democratic Caucus
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Session Scheduling Rules website and Connecticut Constitution, Article III, Section 2
- ↑ South Windsor Patch, "Aman Previews Upcoming Legislative Session for South Windsor Council," January 10, 2013
- ↑ StateScape, State Legislative Snapshot, accessed June 30, 2011
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Connecticut House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Connecticut General Assembly "Connecticut General Statutes"(Referenced Statute 9-215(a), Connecticut General Statutes)
- ↑ 2009-2010 Connecticut House Democratic Leadership
- ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
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