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The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the U.S. state of Pennsylvania's legislative branch, seated at the state's capital, Harrisburg. It has been a bicameral legislature since 1790. It consists of a Senate with 50 members and a House of Representatives with 203 members. Both the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans with 109 to 94 Democrats in the House and 29 to 20 Democrats in the Senate (with one open seat due to the death of Senator Robert Thompson). photo by Einar Einarsson Kvaran Harrisburg, Pennsylvania File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
photo by Einar Einarsson Kvaran Harrisburg, Pennsylvania File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ...
Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area Ranked 33rd - Total 46,055 sq. ...
Map Location in Pennsylvania Political Statistics Founded c. ...
The bicameral legislature of the United States is housed in a capitol building with two wings. ...
1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislative branch of Pennsylvania government. ...
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is one of two co-equal houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ...
The General Assembly meets at noon on the first Tuesday of January and then regularly throughout the year. They adjourn on November 30 in even numbered years when the terms of all members of the House and half the members of the Senate expire. January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...
November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 31 days remaining. ...
The Assembly meets in the Capitol building which was completed in 1906. Photo of the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, DC, December 2003. ...
1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...
Under the Pennsylvania Constitution, the Assembly must meet in City of Harrisburg and can only move if given the consent of both chambers. PA Capital Complex I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
PA Capital Complex I, the creator of this image, hereby release it into the public domain. ...
The current Constitution of Pennsylvania, most recently revised in 1968, forms the law for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ...
The Pennsylvania general elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every even-numbered year. Senators must be at least 25 years old and Representatives at least 21 years old. They must also be citizens and inhabitants of the state for a minimum of four years, living in their respective districts for at least one year. While in office, legislators cannot hold civil office. Even if they resign, the Constitution states that appointments are prohibited for the duration of the term the person was elected for. Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
A resignation occurs when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down. ...
The pay raise controversy
At 2:00 am on July 7, 2005, the General Assembly passed pay increases for state lawmakers, judges, and top executive-branch officials. The raise increased legislators' base pay from 16% to 34% depending on position. The vote took place in the early morning without public review or commentary and Governor Rendell quickly signed the bill. July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Edward Gene Rendell (born January 5, 1944) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. ...
Opposition sprung up almost immediately with several concerns:
- Many residents viewed the raise as exorbitant, considering the perks legislators already enjoy.
- Some took exception to the closed nature of the vote; held in the early morning hours when few people were watching.
- Others took exception to the fact that most state employees were not included in the raise. The legislation only affected legislators, judges, and district attorneys.
The most contentious point of the raise is that part of the new law enabled legislators to receive their salary increase immediately as "unvouchered expenses". This was viewed by many as unconstitutional, although state courts have ruled similar legislation to be constitutional three previous times. According to Article II, Section 8 of the PA Constitution: "The members of the General Assembly shall receive such salary and mileage for regular and special sessions as shall be fixed by law, and no other compensation whatever, whether for service upon committee or otherwise. No member of either House shall during the term for which he may have been elected, receive any increase of salary, or mileage, under any law passed during such term." [1]
Supporters of the raise argued that the press coverage was one-sided, and that supportive arguments received little if any public airing. These include:
- The wage increase still leaves Pennsylvania legislators below 21 of 34 management categories by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor.
- By traveling to Harrisburg, legislators have a longer commute than over 98% of all Pennsylvania workers, although legislators do receive a per diem for these expenses.
- The average American in a non-supervisory, private sector position works about 40 hours a week, while legislators claim to work 50 hours a week or longer.
The raise spawned several grass-roots movements, some geared toward voting out incumbents [2] and some seeking support for measures like reduction of the legislature, legal action or a Constitutional Convention. [3] [4].
The pay raise claimed its first victim in November 2005 when Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro became the first Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice to be denied retention. Many observers complained Nigro had not taken part in the pay raise. However, critics noted that Chief Justice Ralph Cappy helped the legislature draft the bill and that prior Court opinions upheld such practices. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ...
On November 16, 2005, Governor Rendell signed a repeal of the pay raise after a near unanimous vote for repeal.
During the 2006 primary election, a total of 17 legislators were defeated for re-election including Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer and Senate Majority Leader David J. Brightbill. They were the first Pennsylvania legislative leaders to lose a primary election since 1964. [1]The defeats were attributed to anger over the pay raise. Robert C. Jubelirer (born February 9, 1937 in Altoona, Pennsylvania) is a Pennsylvania political leader. ...
David J. Brightbill is the Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate. ...
General assembly leadership
House of Representatives Speaker of the House of Representatives: John M. Perzel (R) John Micheal Jay Perzel (born January 7, 1950) is a Republican politician who represents parts of northeastern Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. ...
| Majority Party | Leadership Position | Minority Party | | Samuel H. Smith | Floor Leader | H. William DeWeese | | David G. Argall | Whip | Mike Veon | | Elinor Z. Taylor1 | Caucus Chairperson | Mark B. Cohen | | Raymond Bunt, Jr.1 | Caucus Secretary | Kevin Blaum1 | | Brett Feese1 | Appropriations Committee Chairman | Dwight Evans | | Merle Phillips | Caucus Administrator | Fred Belardi3 | | Mario J. Civera, Jr. | Policy Committee Chairman | Stephen Stetler | To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
Senate President Pro Tempore: Robert C. Jubelirer (R) 3 Robert C. Jubelirer (born February 9, 1937 in Altoona, Pennsylvania) is a Pennsylvania political leader. ...
| Majority Party | Leadership Position | Minority Party | | David J. Brightbill 3 | Floor Leader | Robert J. Mellow | | Jeffrey E. Piccola | Whip | Michael A. O'Pake | | Noah W. Wenger1 | Caucus Chairman | Jay Costa Jr. | | Robert D. Robbins | Caucus Secretary | Gerald J. LaValle | | Robert J. Thompson2 | Appropriations Committee Chairman | Vincent J. Fumo | | Mary Jo White | Caucus Administrator | Constance H. Williams | | Joe Conti1 | Policy Committee Chairman | Richard A. Kasunic | 1 Members who have announced their intention to retire at the end of their terms in 2007.
2 Senator Thompson died January 28, 2006 from complications of pulmonary fibrosis.
3 Defeated for re-election in 2006 Primary. David J. Brightbill is the Majority Leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate. ...
Robert J. Mellow is the Minority Leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate. ...
Sources - ^
Baer, John, "Astonishing defeats for Jubelirer, Brightbill", Philadelphia Daily News, May. 17, 2006. The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that began publishing on March 31, 1925, under founding editor Lee Ellmaker. ...
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