Legislatures

1. Legislatures Representation & Policy Making

2. Legislative Organization • All but one of the state legislatures are bicameral bodies … like the US Congress • Nebraska is the exception … it has a unicameral, nonpartisan legislature • The size of the legislature ranges from 49 in Nebraska to 424 in New Hampshire (one legislator per 3400 people). • The Arkansas General Assembly has 135 legislators … 100 in the House of Representatives and 35 in the Senate • The Texas legislature has 31 Senators and 150 members in the House of Representatives …

3. Legislative Leadership • The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives • Generally selected by the majority party caucus & then elected by the whole body • Typically, the Speaker is the administrative and political leader of the House … • Supervising staff • Presiding over House sessions • Referring bills to committees • Appointing committee chairs • May even help in other legislator’s campaigns in some states • In Arkansas, Rep. Robert Moore is the Speaker of the House • Arkansas Speakers are limited to one two-year term

4. Leadership, Continued --The President Pro Tem (or President Pro Tempore) is the leader of the Senate --Usually the Lt. Governor presides over the Senate … like the VP presides over the US Senate --Mark Darr is the current Arkansas Lt. Governor … he has an office & small staff, but not much to do --In Texas, on the other hand, the Lt. Governor has real power … appointing committee chairs, determining the order of business in the Senate, etc. --In most states, presiding officers are chosen by partisan votes … as are committee chairs … this has not happened yet in Arkansas (for instance, the co-chairman of the Joint Budget Committee is a Republican)

5. Legislative Operation • The work of the legislature is mostly done in committees … usually about 15-20 per chamber • The most prestigious committees are the ones dealing with budgets and taxes. • Sometimes these are referred to as “appropriation committees” or “Revenue” committees • In Arkansas, the Joint Budget Committee is the committee that prepares the final version of the state budget … and prepares the Revenue Stabilization Act to keep the state within its budget. It does this by allocating state revenues into “allotments” … Allotment A is funded first, then “B” if funds are sufficient • An important committee for educators is the Education Committee … but you’ll find Agriculture Committees, Insurance and Commerce Committees, as well as others

6. Committees in Arkansas Legislature • Standing Committees, such as: AGING, CHILDREN AND YOUTH, LEGISLATIVE & MILITARY AFFAIRS- HOUSE, EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE, and REVENUE & TAXATION- HOUSE • Joint Committees, such as: ALC-JBC BUDGET COMMITTEE, ARKANSAS LOTTERY COMMISSION LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, and LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING • Special Committees, such as: BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE ON HIGHWAY FINANCE and LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON ATHLETIC TRAINERS

7. Rank-and-File Members • Nobody can keep up with all the bills that are introduced in a legislative session … especially not a part-time legislator that has no staff (like in Arkansas) • Are legislators “trustees” or “delegates?” A trustee tends to use his/her own judgment on how to vote on a bill. A delegate attempts to directly represent the wishes of his/her constituents. • Legislators are very interested in winning re-election to office … and maybe an even higher office … term limits affect their prospects • They must, however, rely on information provided by others: legislators, staff, lobbyists, executive branch officials, etc. … they simply cannot “know it all.” • Ethics rules limit the interactions that lobbyists and legislators may have … like dinners, events, trips, etc. • Many legislatures are now made up of “professional” legislators … people who earn their living as a legislator … they usually have considerably more resources to draw upon than “part-time legislators” • Who serves in the legislature: See: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Pages/LegislatorSearchResults.aspx?member=&committee=All&chamber= • What about the Texas legislature: See: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

8. Apportionment • Apportionment refers to the division of the state into districts that are approximately equal in population … compact, contiguous, & equal … though practice falls short of principle • So the state must engage in redistricting every ten years … after the census … so this will be happening soon in a state near you • The goal of incumbents is to draw their district lines in such a way to ensure their reelection • Gerrymandering refers to drawing district lines to benefit or limit some group (party, race, etc.) • Creating districts that are “majority-minority” ensures that black legislators are elected … but it also has strengthen Republican legislative districts in some states. • Protecting the incumbent is the general rule of redistricting.

9. State Legislators • Typically … white, male, 40-50 years old, some college, middle income, moderate/conservative … • Professional background has been common … especially lawyers … winning office might be good for business • Teachers/college professors are sometimes members • Retired people have the time to run and serve … they make up about 15 percent of legislators • Fewer lawyers now … more businessmen/women • Women and African-Americans are more common as legislators now … about 24 percent of legislators are women and about 10 percent are African American • Women tend to focus more on issues such as education, healthcare, and the environment … more than men • Women are more effective legislators now than 20 years ago …

10. Professional vs. Citizen Legislators • Most legislatures now meet annually … even Arkansas now has a mid-term session to deal with the budget … that session is going on now! • That, along with frequent meetings of interim committees, means legislators are spending much more time as legislators now than in the past … that tends to push them toward greater professionalization (Interim Committees meet between legislative sessions) • Professional legislatures … meet full-time, pay members high salaries, employ large staffs … think Illinois, California, New York … • Amateur legislatures … meet part-time, have members who earn their livings some other way, and have small staffs … think Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi … • Most larger states (excluding Texas) have highly professional legislatures • Sometimes the State Constitution limits the length of the legislative session … causing members to “stop the clock” to finish their work (literally … as the session nears the midnight hour when all business must be compete, members “turn back the clock.”

11. Legislatures are not held in high public esteem … • Though individual legislators often are held in high esteem • Legislators do a better job now than in past • It is interesting that, as they have become more professional, they have become greater targets of public disdain • The press pays some attention to the legislature … but often oversimplifies complex issues • Term limits is an indication that the public wanted to limit legislative power … • Increased turnover • 15 states have it … Arkansas has term limits • Probably has increased the power of the Governor and other executive officials … six years to learn it all and get it done?