New Hampshire General Court
| New Hampshire General Court | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2013 session start: | January 4, 2012 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Peter Bragdon (R) |
| House Speaker: | William O'Brien (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Jeb Bradley (R) (Senate), David Bettencourt (R) (House) |
| Minority leader: | Sylvia Larsen (D) (Senate), Terie Norelli (D) (House) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 24 (Senate), 400 (House) |
| Length of term: | 2 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Part Second, New Hampshire Constitution |
| Salary: | $200/two-year term |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 24 seats (Senate) 400 seats (House) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2012 24 seats (Senate) 400 seats (House) |
| Redistricting: | New Hampshire General Court has control |
Contents |
On December 6, 2006, the General Court convened its 160th session and certified the results from the State General Election. The General Court meets in the New Hampshire State House in Concord.
Sessions
The Second Part of the New Hampshire Constitution establishes when the General Court is to be in session. Article 3 of the Second Part states that the General Court is to convene annually on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January. Additionally, in even-numbered years, the General Court is to meet on the first Wednesday of December for organizational purposes.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the General Court will be in session from January 4 through July 1.
Major issues
Major issues on the agenda include economic development, job creation, same-sex marriage, and gambling.[2]
2011
In 2011, the General Court was in session from January 5 through July 1. [3]
Session highlights
State employee compensation cuts
In June, lawmakers passed a controversial bill that cut benefits and required longer hours for state employees. Sponsored by Senator Jeb Bradley, the bill called for public employees to contribute an extra 2 percent of their wages to the state's retirement system, a cut to retirement benefits for new hires, and mandated extra hours for all employees. Though the plan, which passed the GOP-controlled legislature, was subsequently vetoed by Democratic John Lynch, Republican lawmakers shoehorned it into law by attaching it to the state budget bill.
During a speech pitching his plan, Bradley said that his plan was "tough medicine" that would save the state, which faced a $4.7 billion budget deficit, about $700 million over the coming decades.[4][5] In response, employees complained that they had gone six years without any step or cost-of-living pay increases.
2010
In 2010, the General Court was in session from January 6 to July 1.[6]
Senate
The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population. Each member represents an average of 54,853 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[7] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 51,491.[8]
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 13 | |
| Total | 24 | |
House of Representatives
The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 103 districts across the state. Each member represents an average of 3,291 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[9] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 3,089.[10] If the same level of representation were present in Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives would have approximately 99,000 members according to current population estimates.
Unlike in many legislation halls, there is no central "aisle" to cross, since there are four sections with isles between them, with the location put on the legislator's license plate (chairpersons and party leaders in Green, non-chairs in red). Party seating location is not enforced as seating is often based on the personal preference of the legislator (except in the case of the sixth section, which is the speaker's seat at the head of the hall).
Historically, the House was dominated by the Republican Party, which held at the end of the 2004-2006 session a 249–151 majority. However, even with this 98-vote majority, the Republicans were often divided between the more conservative Republican House Alliance and moderates known as the Main Street Republicans, a division of about 141 to 110 respectively. However, in the 2006 election, the Democrats swept control of the chamber and currently hold a wide majority of seats in the House. It is as yet unclear if divisions between the RHA and Main Street Republicans will remain while in the minority. In the 2010 elections however, the Republicans made a huge comback by capturing a vetoproof majorities in the House and Senate.
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 218 | |
| Republican Party | 179 | |
| Vacancy | 3 | |
| Total | 400 | |
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2010, members of the New Hampshire General Court are paid $200/two-year term. There is no per diem.[11]
The $200/two-year term that New Hampshire legislators are paid as of 2010 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem is also the same.[12]
When sworn in
New Hampshire legislators assume office the month after elections (December).
Trivia
- When numbered seats were installed in Representatives Hall, the number thirteen was purposely omitted out of superstition.
- In 1819, the House of Representatives and Senate moved into their respective chambers in the State House. Both continue to meet in their original chambers, making each house have the oldest chamber in United States still in continuous legislative use.
External links
References
- ↑ http://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/stgovt.html
- ↑ Concord Monitor, "House GOP: Jobs the focus," January 4, 2012
- ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
- ↑ Seacoastonline.com, "Workers grill Sen. Bradley on N.H. pension reform," May 18, 2011.
- ↑ Stateline.org, "States overhaul pensions but pass on 401(k)-style plans," June 21, 2011.
- ↑ 2010 session dates for New Hampshire legislature
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
