07 LC 28
3446
Senate
Resolution 279
By:
Senators Douglas of the 17th, Harp of the 29th, Williams of the 19th, Brown of
the 26th, Staton of the 18th and others
A
RESOLUTION
Proposing
an amendment to the Constitution of Georgia so as to provide for staggered,
four-year terms of office for members of the Senate; to provide for the
implementation of staggered terms of office for members of the Senate; to
provide that members of the House of Representatives shall be elected to terms
and in a manner as provided by general law; to provide for related matters; to
provide for the submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; and
for other purposes.
BE
IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
III, Section II of the Constitution is amended by revising Paragraph V as
follows:
"Paragraph
V.
Election
and term of members. (a) The members of
the General
Assembly
House of
Representatives shall be elected by the
qualified electors of their respective districts for
a term of
two years and shall serve until the time fixed for the convening of the next
General Assembly
terms and in a
manner as provided by general law. Except as provided in subparagraph (c) of
this Paragraph, the members of the Senate shall be elected by the qualified
electors of their respective districts for a term of four years and until the
time fixed for the convening of the next General
Assembly.
(b)
The members of the General Assembly in office on June 30,
1983
2009,
shall serve out the remainder of the terms to which elected.
(c)
The first
election for members of the General Assembly under this Constitution shall take
place on Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1984, and subsequent
elections biennially on that day until the day of election is changed by
law.
The first
election for members of the Senate under this Paragraph shall take place on
Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 2010, and subsequent elections
biennially on that day until the day of election is changed by law. In the 2010
general election, the members of the Senate from odd-numbered districts shall be
elected to two-year terms of office and the members of the Senate from
even-numbered districts shall be elected to four-year terms of office.
Thereafter, in all subsequent elections, members of the Senate shall be elected
at the general election immediately preceding the end of their terms of office
for four-year terms of office.
SECTION
2.
The
above proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as
provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution. The ballot
submitting the above proposed amendment shall have written or printed thereon
the following:
|
"( ) YES
( ) NO
|
Shall
the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide for staggered, four-year
terms of office for members of the Senate of the General Assembly of Georgia in
a similar manner to the members of the United States Senate?"
|
All
persons desiring to vote in favor of ratifying the proposed amendment shall vote
"Yes." All persons desiring to vote against ratifying the proposed amendment
shall vote "No." If such amendment shall be ratified as provided in said
Paragraph of the Constitution, it shall become a part of the Constitution of
this state.