THE BRANCHES OF STATE GOVERNMENT

**LEGISLATIVE BRANCH**

The Legislative Branch is the law-making branch of Illinois government. The legislature (law-making body) of Illinois meets each year beginning on the second Wednesday of January and concluding when the legislative work of the state has been finished. The governor, after the legislature has adjourned, may call extra sessions.

The General Assembly

The main body of the Legislative Branch is the General Assembly. It consists of the Senate and House of Representatives. (In other words, the Senate and the House of representatives together are known as the General Assembly). There are 177 members in the General Assembly. The Senate has 59 members and the House of Representatives has 118 members.

All members of the General Assembly are elected by the people. All members of the General Assembly must be 21 years old or older, be a resident of the district for at least 2 years, and be a citizen.

In order to do work, a quorum of its members must be present. A quorum is a majority of the members. (½ + 1) Each house determines its own rules and procedures. No member can be expelled except by a 2/3 vote. Either house can imprison any people who show disrespect to the house, but only for 24 hours. Both houses are organized into committees to help conduct business efficiently.

Districts

There are 59 legislative districts in the state. Each district elects one state senator and 2 state representatives.

Special Duties

Besides making the laws, the General Assembly conducts investigations, submits constitutional amendments to the people, acts on amendments to the federal constitution, and confirms appointments made by the governor.

The State Senate

There are 59 state senators, one from each of the legislative districts. A senator's term is for 4 years and he/she may be re-elected without limit. Elections are held in even-numbered years, with about half the Senate elected every two years. The presiding officer of the Senate is the President of the Senate, who is elected by all the state senators.

Special duties of the State Senate

In addition to its regular law-making powers, the Senate has the following special powers: The Senate tries impeachment cases and the Senate must approve many of the appointments made by the governor.

The State House of Representatives

There are 118 state representatives, 2 from each of the 59 legislative districts. A representative's term is for 2 years. Elections are held in even-numbered years and representatives may be re-elected without limit. The presiding officer of the House is the Speaker of the House, elected by the representatives themselves.

Special duties of the State House of Representatives

Besides its regular law-making duties, the House of Representatives has the sole power of impeachment. Impeachment means to charge an official with wrongdoing.

*Illinois has 20 U.S. Representatives and 2 U.S. Senators that represent Illinois in the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.

Lesson 2 Quiz