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Rhode Island General Assembly
| Rhode Island General Assembly | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2013 session start: | January 3, 2012 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | M. Teresa Paiva-Weed (D) |
| House Speaker: | Gordon Fox (D) |
| Majority Leader: | Dominick Ruggerio (D) (Senate), Nicholas Mattiello (D) (House) |
| Minority leader: | Dennis Algiere (D) (Senate), Robert Watson (R) (House) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 38 (Senate), 75 (House) |
| Length of term: | 2 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art VI, Section 2, Rhode Island Constitution |
| Salary: | $13,098.44/year |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 38 seats (Senate) 75 seats (House) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2012 38 seats (Senate) 75 seats (House) |
| Redistricting: | Rhode Island Legislature has control |
Contents |
The General Assembly meets at the Rhode Island State House in Providence.
History
Early Independence
The Rhode Island General Assembly was one of the thirteen colonial legislatures that participated in the American War of Independence. The General Assembly was the first legislative body during the war to seriously consider independence from Great Britain. On May 4, 1776, two months before the Continental Congress formally adopted the United States Declaration of Independence, Rhode Island became the first colony of what would soon be the future United States to legally separate from the British Empire.
The Federal Debate
Over a decade after the war, the General Assembly pushed aside calls to join the newly-formed federal government, citing its demands that a Bill of Rights should be included in the new federal Constitution. With this done, as well as an ultimatum from the new federal government of the United States that it would begin to impose export taxes on Rhode Island goods if it did not join the Union, the General Assembly relented. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the Thirteen Colonies to sign the U.S. Constitution, becoming the thirteenth U.S. state (and the smallest).
State Constitutions
From 1663 until 1842, Rhode Island's governing state constitution was its original colonial charter granted by King Charles II of England, a political anomaly considering that while most states during the War of Independence and afterwards wrote scores of new constitutions with their newly-found independence in mind, Rhode Island instead continued with a document stamped by an English king. Even nearly seventy years after U.S. independence, Rhode Island continued to operate with the 1663 Charter, leaving it after 1818 (when Connecticut, the other holdout, dropped its colonial charter for a contemporary constitution) the only state whose official legal document was passed by a foreign monarch.
While the 1663 Charter was democratic considering its time period, rising national demands for voting suffrage in response to the Industrial Revolution put strains on the colonial document. By the early 1830s, only 40% of the state's white males could vote, one of the lowest voting franchise percentages in the entire United States. For its part, the General Assembly proved to be an obstacle for change, not eager to see its traditional wealthy voting base shrink.
Constitutional reform came to a head in 1841 when supporters of universal suffrage led by Thomas Wilson Dorr, dissatisfied with the conservative General Assembly and the state's conservative governor, Samuel Ward King, held the extralegal People's Convention, calling on Rhode Islanders to debate a new liberal constitution. At the same time, the General Assembly began its own constitution convention dubbed the Freeman's Convention, making some democratic concessions to Dorr supporters, while keeping other aspects of the 1663 Charter intact.
Elections in late 1841 and early 1842 led to both sides claiming to be the legitimate state government, each with their own respective constitutions in hand. In the days following the highly confusing and contentious 1842 gubernatorial and state legislature elections, Governor King declared martial law. Liberal Dorr supporters took up arms to begin the Dorr Rebellion.
The short-lived rebellion proved unsuccessful in overthrowing Governor King and the General Assembly. The Freeman's Constitution eventually was debated upon by the legislature and passed by the electorate. Although not as liberal as the People's document, the 1843 Freeman's Constitution did greatly increase suffrage in Rhode Island. Further revisions in the 1843 document were made by the General Assembly and passed by the electorate in 1986.
Sessions
Article VI of the Rhode Island Constitution establishes when the General Assembly is to be in session. Section 3 of Article states that the General Assembly is to convene its regular session on the first Tuesday of January in each year.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the General Assembly will be in session from January 3 through mid-June.
Major issues
The legislature will have to address a $120 million budget deficit. Legislators want to cut spending to close the gap while Governor Lincoln Chafee (I) is considering a tax raise. Major issues also include reducing municipal pension costs and reducing regulations to spur economic growth.[1]
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the General Assembly was in session from January 4 - July 1. The legislature is in recess until October, when a special session is planned to tackle the cost of public-employee pensions. [2]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the General Assembly was in session from January 5 to June 11.[3]
Senate
The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the normal four-year term as in the majority of states. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. Each member represents an average of 27,699 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[4] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 27,587 residents.[5]
Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, commissions, boards, or justices to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Leadership
The President of the Senate presides over the body, appointing members to all of the Senate's committees and joint committees, and may create other committees and subcommittees if desired. Unlike other states, the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island does not preside over the Senate, and is instead active in other areas such as state commissions on health and businesses. In the Senate President's absence, the President Pro Tempore presides.
Current make-up
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 29 | |
| Republican Party | 8 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 38 | |
House of Representatives
The Rhode Island House of Representatives is the lower house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 75 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Rhode Island General Assembly does not have term limits. Each member represents an average of 14,034 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[6] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 13,978 residents.[7]
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. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation. 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.
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 69 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | |
| Total | 75 | |
Legislators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2011, members of the Rhode Island Legislature are paid $13,962.55/year during legislative sessions. Legislators receive no per diem.[8]
The $13,962.55/year that Rhode Island legislators are paid as of 2011 is an increase over $13,098.44/year they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and 2007. There is no per diem.[9][10]
When sworn in
Rhode Island legislators assume office the first Tuesday in January.
Joint legislative committees
The Rhode Island General Assembly has three permanent joint committees:
- Economic Development Committee, Rhode Island General Assembly
- Health Care Oversight Committee, Rhode Island General Assembly
- State Lottery Committee, Rhode Island General Assembly
There are also six other joint committees:
- Energy Committee, Rhode Island General Assembly
- Establish A Permanent Education Foundation Aid Formula for Rhode Island Committee, Rhode Island General Assembly
- Highway Safety Committee, Rhode Island General Assembly
- Housing Act Oversight Commission, Rhode Island General Assembly
- Legislative Services Committee, Rhode Island General Assembly
- Port Facilities Study Commission, Rhode Island General Assembly[11]
External links
- The State of Rhode Island General Assembly Official Website
- Wikipedia: Rhode Island General Assembly
References
- ↑ Boston.com, "Issues to watch in 2012 RI session," January 2, 2012
- ↑ Projo.com, R.I. lawmakers pass flurry of bills, recess until October, July 1, 2011
- ↑ 2010 session dates for the Rhode Island 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, "2011 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ Rhode Island Committees
