Missouri General Assembly

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The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. Elections are conducted using first-past-the-post voting in single-member districts of roughly equal population. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits. Senators are limited to two four-year terms and representatives to four two-year terms, a total of 8 years for members of both houses. The General Assembly meets at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

Missouri General Assembly
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
HousesSenate
House of Representatives
Term limits
Senate: 2 terms (8 years)
House: 4 terms (8 years)
Leadership
Mike Kehoe (R)
since June 18, 2018
Speaker Pro Tempore
Caleb Rowden (R)
since January 9, 2019
Dean Plocher (R)
since January 6, 2023
Structure
Seats197
  • 34 senators
  • 163 representatives
Senate political groups
  •   Republican (24)
  •   Democratic (10)
House of Representatives political groups
Length of term
Senate: 4 years
House: 2 years
Salary$35,915/year + per diem
Elections
Last Senate election
November 8, 2022
November 8, 2022
Next Senate election
November 5, 2024
November 5, 2024
RedistrictingLegislative Commission
Meeting place
Missouri State Capitol
Jefferson City
Website
Missouri General Assembly
Constitution
Constitution of Missouri

Polling from Saint Louis University showed that the General Assembly enjoyed a 45% approval rating in 2024, which was considered "relatively high" compared to other government institutions.[1]

Qualifications

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Members of the House of Representatives must be 24 years of age to be elected. Representatives also must be a qualified Missouri voter for two years, and a resident of the county or district of their constituency for one year. Senators must be 30 years of age, a qualified Missouri voter for three years, and similar to House qualifications, must be a resident of their senatorial constituency for one year prior to their election.

Sessions and quorum

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According to Article III, Section 20 of the Missouri Constitution, the General Assembly must convene on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January following the state general election.[2] It adjourns on May 30, with no consideration of bills after 6:00 p.m. on the first Friday following the second Monday in May. No appropriation bill may be considered after 6:00 p.m. on the first Friday after the first Monday in May. If the Governor returns a bill with his objections after adjournment sine die, the General Assembly is automatically reconvened on the first Wednesday following the second Monday in September for a period not to exceed ten days to consider vetoed bills.[2]

The Governor may convene the General Assembly in special session for a maximum of 60 calendar days at any time. Only subjects recommended by the Governor in his call or a special message may be considered. The President Pro Tem and the Speaker may convene a 30-day special session upon petition of three-fourths of the members of each chamber.

Neither the House nor Senate, without the consent of the other chamber, adjourn for more than ten days at any one time, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses may be sitting.

As a part-time legislature, compensation is low with the General Assembly, and most senators and representatives hold jobs outside their legislative duties. Lawmakers are paid about $35,915 per legislative year.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "SLU/YouGov Poll Shows Missourians Give Fairly Positive Ratings to Missouri Politicians, Legislature, but Not to President, the U.S. Congress, or the U.S. Supreme Court". www.slu.edu. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "The Legislative Process In Missouri". House of Representatives. Retrieved December 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "Did You Know - Facts About the Missouri Senate". www.senate.mo.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
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