Vermont General Assembly

2025-08-01T09:56:43Z

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{{short description|Legislative branch of the state government of Vermont}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name = Vermont General Assembly
| coa_pic = File:Seal_of_Vermont_(B&W).svg
| house_type = [[Bicameral]]
| houses = [[Vermont Senate|Senate]]<br />{{Nowrap|[[Vermont House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]}}
| leader1_type = [[Lieutenant governor of Vermont|Senate President]]
| leader1 = [[John S. Rodgers]]
| party1 = ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
| election1 = January 9, 2025
| leader2_type = [[President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate|Senate President pro tempore]]
| leader2 = [[Philip Baruth]]
| party2 = ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| election2 = January 4, 2023
| leader6_type = [[List of speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives|House Speaker]]
| leader6 = [[Jill Krowinski]]
| party6 = ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| election6 = January 6, 2021
| members =
180 voting members<br />
* 30 senators
* 150 representatives| house1 = Vermont Senate
| political_groups1 = '''Majority (17)'''
*{{Color box|#3333FF|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Democratic Party|Democratic]] (16)
*{{Color box|#c64c4b|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Progressive Party|Progressive]] (1)
'''Minority (13)'''
*{{Color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Republican Party|Republican]] (13)
| last_election3 = November 5, 2024
| next_election3 = November 3, 2026<br>
| meeting_place = [[Vermont State House]]<br>[[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]]
| session_room = Vermont State House Montpelier October 2021 HDR.jpg
| house2 = Vermont House of Representatives
| political_groups2 = '''Majority (94)'''
*{{Color box|#3333FF|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Democratic Party|Democratic]] (87)
*{{Color box|#c64c4b|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Progressive Party|Progressive]] (4)
*{{Color box|#DDDDDD|border=darkgray}} [[Independent politician|Independent]] (3)
'''Minority (56)'''
*{{Color box|#E81B23|border=darkgray}} [[Vermont Republican Party|Republican]] (56)
| website = {{URL|https://legislature.vermont.gov/}}
|structure1=Vermont Senate 2024.svg|structure1_res=250px|structure2=Vermont House of Representatives 2025.svg|structure2_res=250px
}}

The '''Vermont General Assembly''' is the [[State legislature (United States)|legislative body]] of the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Vermont]], in the United States. The legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly", but "legislature" is commonly used, including by members of the body itself.<ref>[http://www.leg.state.vt.us/ Vermont Legislature]</ref> The general assembly is a [[bicameral]] legislature, consisting of the 150-member [[Vermont House of Representatives]] and the 30-member [[Vermont Senate]].
Members of the house are elected by single and two-member districts. 68 districts choose one member, and 41 choose two, with the term of service being two years. The senate includes 30 senators, elected by seven single-member and nine multi-member districts with two or three members each. It is the only state legislative body in the United States in which a [[Vermont Progressive Party|third party]] has had continuous representation and been consecutively elected alongside Democrats and Republicans.

The Vermont General Assembly meets at the [[Vermont State House]] in the state capital of [[Montpelier, Vermont|Montpelier]]. Biennial terms commence on the Wednesday following the first Monday in January (beginning in 1915; thus, terms commence in odd-numbered years).<ref>[http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/const2.htm Vermont Constitution, Chapter 2, Article 7.]</ref>

==Elections==
Legislative elections are held in November of every even-numbered year. Representatives and Senators serve two-year terms. One must be a resident of the state for the two years, and of the legislative district for the one year immediately preceding the election in order to qualify for either house.

The House is headed by the [[Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]], while the Senate is headed by the State's [[Lieutenant Governor of Vermont|Lieutenant Governor]] as the [[President of the Senate|Senate President]]. The Senate President has only a [[casting vote]]. More often, the Senate is presided over by the [[President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate|President pro tempore]], who is chosen at the start of each session.

For past partisan compositions of both houses see [[Political party strength in Vermont]].

==Functions==
The Legislature is empowered to make law, subject to the [[Governor of Vermont|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 chamber.

The Legislature has the sole power to propose [[constitutional amendment|amendments]] to the [[Constitution of Vermont]]. An amendment must originate in the Senate, where it must receive a two-thirds vote. After passing the Senate, it must also receive a majority vote in the House. Any amendment that passes both Houses must be repassed by majority votes, after a newly elected legislature is seated; again, first in the Senate, then in the House. The proposed amendment must then be passed by a majority of the state's voters at a [[referendum]]. Only every other Senate session may initiate the amendment process. Thus, Senates elected in off-year (i.e. non-Presidential) elections may initiate amendments, but not Senates elected during Presidential elections. (Vermont Constitution, Chapter 2, Section 72)

==History==
Vermont had a [[unicameral legislature]] until 1836. It added a senate by constitutional amendment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.state.vt.us/reports/02redistricting/LAB_Senate.pdf|title=REPORT OF THE LEGISLATIVE APPORTIONMENT BOARD: The 2001 Tentative Plan for the Vermont Senate|page=8|access-date=9 September 2017}}</ref> Prior to 1915, the legislature opened its session in the fall. In 1915 it began opening in January.<ref>{{cite book | author = Lefebvre, Paul |title = Legislators cast wary eye at state budget | publisher = the Chronicle | date = January 7, 2009}}</ref> The legislature takes a break the week of Town Meeting Day in March.<ref>{{cite book | author = Moore, Kimberly C. |title = Crowds have juicy time at Big Squeeze | publisher = Burlington Free Press | date = January 1, 2009}}</ref>

=== One Town, One Vote ===
From 1777 to 1965, each city/town elected one representative to the Vermont House of Representatives, regardless of the population of the municipality.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-15 |title=Unpacking Vermont’s history of reapportionment - Mountain Times |url=https://mountaintimes.info/2021/12/15/unpacking-vermonts-history-of-reapportionment/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |language=en-US |archive-date=May 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240512095725/https://mountaintimes.info/2021/12/15/unpacking-vermonts-history-of-reapportionment/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bushnell |first=Mark |date=2020-01-12 |title=Then Again: Until 1965, the smallest town had as much clout as the biggest city in the Vermont House |url=http://vtdigger.org/2020/01/12/then-again-until-1965-the-smallest-town-had-as-much-clout-as-the-biggest-city-in-the-vermont-house/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=VTDigger |language=en-US}}</ref> This changed with the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]]'s 1964 decree of "[[One man, one vote|One Man, One Vote]]" in ''[[Reynolds v. Sims]]'', which affected all state legislatures across the Union.<ref>Shull, Charles W. (1941). "Reapportionment: A Chronic Problem". ''National Municipal Review''. '''30''' (2): 73–79. [[Digital object identifier|doi]]:[[doi:10.1002/ncr.4110300204|10.1002/ncr.4110300204]]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Vermont House of Representatives]]
*[[Vermont State House]]
*[[Members of the Vermont House of Representatives, 2005–2006 session]]
*[[Members of the Vermont House of Representatives, 2007–2008 session]]
*[[Vermont Representative districts, 2002–2012]]
*[[Vermont Senate]]
*[[Political party strength in Vermont]]
*[[List of Vermont General Assemblies]]

==Footnotes==
* Two senators and one representative are split P/D in their caucus

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.leg.state.vt.us/ Vermont General Assembly]
*[http://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/const2.htm The Vermont Constitution]
*[http://vermont.gov/portal/ Government of Vermont portal]

{{Vermont State Senators}}
{{Vermont House of Representatives}}
{{united States legislatures}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Vermont General Assembly| ]]
[[Category:Government of Vermont]]
[[Category:Politics of Vermont]]
[[Category:Bicameral legislatures]]

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Vermont General Assembly