| Florida State Legislature | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Bicameral |
| Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
| Leadership | |
| President of the Senate | Mike Haridopolos, Republican Party since November 16, 2010 |
| Speaker of the House | Dean Cannon, Republican Party since November 16, 2010 |
| Structure | |
| Members | 160 |
| Senate Political groups | Democratic Party: 12 Republican Party: 28 |
| House Political groups | Democratic Party: 39 Republican Party: 81 |
| Authority | Article III, Florida Constitution |
| Elections | |
| Senate Last election | November 2, 2010 |
| House Last election | November 2, 2010 |
| Senate Next election | November 6, 2012 |
| House Next election | November 6, 2012 |
| Motto | |
| In God We Trust | |
| Meeting place | |
| Florida Capitol, Tallahassee | |
| Website | |
| www.leg.state.fl.us/ | |
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate and House of Representatives.[1] The legislature is seated at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee.
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The Florida Constitution mandates a bicameral state legislature with an upper house Florida Senate of no more than 40 members and a lower Florida House of Representatives of no more than 120 members.[1] A representative must be at least 21 years of age, a resident of the district in which he or she will serve, and a resident of Florida for at least two years before being qualified to run for election.
Due to term limits, House members may be elected for up to four terms (eight years), while State Senators can be elected for up to two terms (eight years). Former members can be elected again after a two year break.
Both chambers have been under Republican control since 1996.
The House is headed by the Speaker, while the Senate is headed by the President. The House Speaker and Senate President control the assignment of committees and leadership positions, along with control of the agenda in their chambers. The two leaders are considered powerful statewide leaders and along with the Governor of Florida control most of the agenda of state business in Florida.
The Florida Legislature operates on a regular legislative session starting on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March [2] for a period not to exceed 60 calendar days. Special sessions are called as needed.
Every ten years (1982, 1992, 2002, 2012, etc.), following the dicennial census, the Legislature provides, by law, for the 60-day regular session to begin early, typically in January.[3]
The Legislature is empowered to make law, subject to the Governor's power to veto a bill. However, the veto may be overridden by the Legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in favor of overriding in each House. The Legislature also has the power to propose amendments to the Florida Constitution. The rules for the Florida Legislature are laid out within the Constitution of Florida, and is also prescribed the respective chambers when applicable. Florida has had a total of six different state constitutions, coming in 1838, 1861 (secession), 1865, 1868, 1885, and 1968 (the current Florida Constitution).
In 2009, legislators filed 2,138 bills for consideration. On average, the Legislature has passed about 300 bills into law annually.[4]
Earmarks that have not gone through the normal legislative process are known coloquially as "turkeys." In 2010, Florida TaxWatch, a government watchdog organization counted 41 "turkeys" totaling $61 million.[5]
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