Maine Legislature
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The Legislature convenes at the State House in Augusta, where it has met since 1832.
The House of Representatives consists of one-hundred and fifty-one members, each chosen from single-member constituencies. The House is also one of the only state legislative bodies in the U.S. to set aside special seats for Native Americans, where there are two nonvoting Representatives from the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribes. The Senate includes a varying number of members, which may under the Maine Constitution be thirty-one, thirty-three, or thirty-five; the present number is thirty-five.
Contents |
[edit] Qualifications
In order to be a member of the Legislature, one must be no less than twenty-one years old, have been for five years a citizen of the United States, have been a resident of Maine for one year, and for the 3 months next preceding the time of this person's election shall have been, and, during the period for which elected, continue to be, a resident in the district represented.
[edit] Elections
Legislative elections are held in November of every even-numbered year, during the state's general election. The terms for both houses are two years. Since 1996, members of both the House and Senate are limited to four two-year terms; this is a consecutive, rather than lifetime, limit.
[edit] Powers
As the legislative branch of the Maine state government, the Legislature has the power to make laws, subject to a veto by the Governor. The Legislature, however, by a vote of two-thirds in each house, may override the veto. The Legislature also has the power to propose constitutional amendments by a vote of two-thirds in each house; the proposal must be approved by a majority of voters in a referendum in order to be passed.
