Idaho State Legislature

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The Idaho State Legislature is the state legislature 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 districts, with 2 being elected from each constituency.

The crossing of upper and lower house districts into a single constituency is found in only seven U.S. state legislatures: Idaho, Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington. As of 2000, each legislative district in the state of Idaho had approximately 37,000 residents.

The Idaho State Capitol, where the legislature meets, is based in Boise. The historical building is currently undergoing extensive renovations.

Meetings

The Idaho Legislature normally convenes at the Idaho State Capitol in downtown Boise. The Legislature meets annually from January until mid-March, although sessions have been known to last into May. The Governor of Idaho may also call special sessions at any time.

Senate

The Idaho Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 35 Senators elected to two-year terms, each representing a district of the state. The senate has been composed of 28 Republicans, 7 Democrats since the 2002 elections.

House of Representatives

The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives, two from each district, elected to two-year terms. The Idaho House of Representatives has been continuously controlled by the Republican Party since the 1950s, usually by a wide margin. However, Democrats picked up six seats in the 2006 elections, mainly in the Boise area. The current make-up is 51 Republicans, 19 Democrats.

State capitol

Idaho's state capitol, located in Boise, is considered to be one of the state's most significant buildings, both architecturally and historically. It is built in the Renaissance Revival style. Construction began in 1905 and the first round of construction was completed in 1912, allowing legislative meetings to commence in the new building. A second round of construction to complete the original building began in 1919.^[1]

A State Capitol Commission was created in 1998. It was given the responsibility of developing a plan for the restoration of the Capitol.

In 2005, the state legislature allocated a portion of the state's tax on cigarettes to go into a permanent building fund earmarked for repair and restoration of the state capitol.

Joint legislative committees

• Finance-Appropriations Committee, Idaho Legislature
• Legislative Oversight Committee, Idaho Legislature
• Millennium Fund Committee, Idaho Legislature

External links

• Official website of the Idaho State Legislature
• Project Vote Smart - State Senate of Idaho

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