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.
