THE GEORGIA SENATE
In the American tradition of "separation of powers," the Georgia State
Constitution divides its governmental structure into three independent
branches - the Legislative, Judicial and Executive - and declares that
they are to remain forever separate and distinct.
The Legislative Branch of state government is the Georgia General Assembly,
which consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives. It makes the
general policies and laws by which the needs of our society are met.
The General Assembly was created in 1777 shortly after the outbreak
of the American Revolution, making it older than the United States Congress.
Its Senate and House meet in separate chambers on opposite sides of the
third floor of the Capitol. The 56 members of the Senate each member represents
approximately 146,000 citizens.
The General Assembly is required by law to convene on the second Monday
of January each year and meet for no longer than 40 legislative days. Bills
may be introduced in either the Senate or House, with the exception of
revenue and appropriations bills, which must originate in the House. The
Senate, in turn, is responsible for confirming the Governor's appointments
to boards and commissions.
Georgia's Lieutenant Governor also carries the title of President of
the Senate, and is elected by the voters statewide every four years.
The Georgia Senate is one of the most progressive legislative bodies
in the United States and has been widely studied and copied by other states.
A number of reforms during the past decade or so have made the Senate more
democratic and responsive to the citizens of Georgia.
In the Senate, all bills are called in the exact order they appear on
the calendar, and an electronic voting system records the final vote on
all general bills.
Legislative logjams, once common at the end of the Session, are prevented
by requiring all Senate bills to be handled by the Senate and all House
bills to be received from the House eight days before adjournment.
All Senate committee meetings and conference committee meetings to resolve
Senate-House differences are open to the public, and meeting times for
Senate committees are posted publicly well in advance.
The Senate Research Office was established to provide Senators with
background information essential to introducing legislation and making
intelligent decisions.
Decorum was also improved in the Senate with the President's strict
enforcement of the decisions of the Rules Committee and a five-person Decorum
Committee governing introductions and admissions to the Senate floor.
SECRETARY OF THE SENATE
The Secretary of the Senate is elected by vote of the Senators for a two-year
term. He is the Senate's administrative officer and unofficial parliamentarian.
The Secretary is custodian of all bills, resolutions, records, papers
and official documents filed with the Senate. He compiles, indexes and
publishes the Senate Journal.
SENATE PUBLICATIONS
During the Session, the Secretary prints all Senate bills and the following
daily publications:
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The First Readers give a brief summary of bills and resolutions introduced
in the Senate.
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The Daily Status shows the location and actions taken on all bills and
resolutions during the legislative day.
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The Composite Status, which is cumulative, shows the bill number, title,
committee referred to and actions on Senate and House bills and resolutions
in both Houses.
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The General Calendar lists bills or resolutions in numerical order which
are ready to the acted upon by the Senate.
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The Senate Rules Calendar, set by the Committee on Rules and published
daily during the last 35 days of the Session, lists bills and resolutions
ready to be acted upon by the Senate.
SENATE PAGES
Members of the Senate are served by student pages who deliver messages,
obtain copies of bills and perform errands. Senate rules require pages
to be at least twelve years of age. A Senator may name up to twenty pages
during the Session and the Lieutenant Governor may name up to forty pages
during the Session. Click Here for more information about becomming a page.
THE LEGISLATIVE INTERN PROGRAM
The Legislative Intern Program provides Georgia's college students with
a unique opportunity to participate in the legislative process. The students
receive college credit for their internship during the Session of the General
Assembly. Interns are chosen from among the top ranking academic students
throughout the state and are nominated and selected by the political science
departments of the participating colleges. The interns are assigned to
the various standing committees of the Senate and provide important assistance
including the tracking of legislation assigned to the committees. Through
their service, interns receive an educational reward not found in the classroom
- the enriching experience of working directly with lawmakers.
THE LEGISLATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE
The Legislative Services Committee, which is empowered to study and adopt
methods and procedures to operate the General Assembly and each of its
Houses more efficiently, was created in 1959.
It is a sixteen-member committee composed of the Speaker of the House
as Chairman, the Secretary of the Senate as Secretary, the President and
President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker Pro Tempore and Clerk
of the House, the chairmen of the Senate Appropriations, Judiciary, and
Banking and Finance Committees, chairmen of the House Appropriations, Judiciary,
Ways and Means Committees, the Senate and House Majority Leaders, and the Clerk of the House.
The Legislative Services Committee studies and adopts methods to make
the operation of the Senate and the House more uniform. It has general
supervision over operations of the Legislative Branch of Government, and
can act for and enter into contracts on behalf of agencies of the Legislature.
The Committee has the authority to provide for services for the Legislative
Branch, and to delegate its powers and authority as it deems advisable.
The Committee also has control, authority and jurisdiction over legislative
space in the State Capitol Building and in the Coverdell Office Building
- the areas where the legislative process occurs.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL
The Office of the Legislative Counsel was created in 1959. The Act provides
that the Legislative Counsel shall be an attorney skilled in legislative
matters and bill drafting. The Legislative Counsel, who is elected by the
Legislative Services Committee, provides bill-drafting services to every
member of the General Assembly.
He advises members of each House on legislative matters and is authorized
to provide for statutory and code revisions, render opinions, assist committees,
perform research, issue reports and make recommendations. He is also authorized
to provide legal services for the Legislative Branch and represent that
branch in litigation.
LEGISLATIVE FISCAL OFFICER
The Legislative Fiscal Officer oversees payment of salaries and expenses
of the General Assembly. The office was established in 1968. The Fiscal
Officer serves both the Senate and the House, bringing centralization to
legislative expenditures. The Fiscal Officer is appointed by the Legislative
Services Committee. She prepares the legislative budget, subject to approval
by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, to be presented
to the General Assembly. The Fiscal Officer oversees disbursement of these
funds by paying for supplies and other materials and preparing the payroll
for the General Assembly.
THE SENATE RESEARCH OFFICE
The Senate Research Office was established in 1975 to provide an independent
source of information and research for the Senate. The centralized staff
provides assistance to individual Senators as well as to standing and interim
study committees. The staff is composed of a select group of research experts.
There are seven full-time researchers to answer research requests. The
office also maintains resource files and a library of current periodicals
and publications on legislative issues.
THE SENATE PRESS OFFICE
The Senate Press Office was established in 1972 to expand news coverage
of the Senate to keep the public informed. The office acts as a conduit
between the Senate and the public via the news media throughout the state.
The Senate Press Office issues news releases, broadcast reports,
media credentials, serves as a message center for Senators during the Session
and provides information to media representatives and the public through
a broad range of services.
THE GEORGIA SENATOR
The Constitution of Georgia requires a Senator to be at least 25 years
old, an American citizen, a Georgia citizen for at least two years and
a resident of his or her Senatorial District for at least one year immediately
preceding election.
The present Senate membership ranges in age from 31 to 78. The typical
Senator attended an institution of higher education and is a member of
several professional or civic organizations.
Unlike other government officials who devote full time to public service,
the Legislature is government's "citizen" branch, whose members are occupied
in a business or profession when not carrying out legislative duties. Senators
are engaged in law, retail trade, farming, education and a host of other
occupations.
A citizen, organization or other public official can conceive of the
need for legislation, but only a Senator may actually introduce legislation
in the Georgia Senate. In addition, the Senate has the sole responsibility
of confirming the Governor's appointments to state boards and agencies.
A Senator's duties are broader than deliberations during the three-month
Legislative Session. Senators represent the interests of their constituents
year-round by helping citizens in their dealings with government agencies
and studying problems which citizens feel require legislation.
