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Virginia House of Delegates
From Ballotpedia
| Virginia House of Delegates | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2012 session start: | January 11, 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | William J. Howell, (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Kirk Cox, (R) |
| Minority leader: | David Toscano, (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 100 |
| Democratic Party (32) Republican Party (67) Independent (1) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Art IV, Virginia Constitution |
| Salary: | $17,640/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | 2009 |
| Next election: | November 8, 2011 (100 seats) |
| Redistricting: | Virginia Legislature has control |
Contents |
Elections to the House of Delegates are held every two years in odd-numbered years. The most recent election was held on November 3, 2009. Terms of newly-elected or re-elected members of the House of Delegates begin on January 13, 2010 with the official inauguration on January 16.[4]
Sessions
Article IV of the Virginia Constitution establishes when the Virginia General Assembly, of which the House of Delegates is a part, is to be in session. Section 6 of Article IV states that the General Assembly is to convene annually on the second Wednesday in January. In even-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to sixty days. In odd-numbered years, regular sessions are limited to thirty days. Section 6 allows the General Assembly to extend its regular sessions by thirty days if two-thirds of each house vote to extend the session.
Section 6 allows the Governor of Virginia to convene special sessions of the General Assembly. Section 6 also allows for a special session to be called when it is requested by two-thirds of the members of each house.
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the General Assembly was in regular session from January 11 through March 10.[5]
Major issues
With the Senate tied 20-20, control of the chamber will be a major issue. Republicans, using the tie-breaking vote of Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, claim control of the chamber, but Democrats are challenging in court. The General Assembly will take up Governor Bob McDonnell's proposed $85 billion budget, job creation, economic development, and a proposal to end the 30-year-old moratorium on uranium mining.[6]
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the Legislature was in regular session from January 12 through February 27. On February 27, a special redistricting session was convened. A reconvened session will begin on April 6 at 12 p.m. to consider any Governor's amendments and/or vetoes to legislation passed by the General Assembly. This is the only business that can occur during the reconvened session. [7]
A second special session convened June 9 and lasted through July 29. The session was called to elect judges to the state Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.[8]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the House was in session from January 13 to March 13.[9]
Elections
2011
Elections for the office of Virginia's state house representatives will be held in Virginia on November 8, 2011.
2007
As of the 2000 Census, Virginia's 100 state representatives each represent an average population of 70,785 people. In 2007, the candidates running for state house raised a total of $32,931,206 in campaign contributions.
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 156 | $32,931,206 |
| 2005 | 187 | $25,340,303 |
| 2003 | 158 | $13,103,722 |
| 2001 | 182 | $13,681,547 |
The top 10 donors were:[10]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Virginia | $2,187,401 |
| Virginia House Democratic Caucus | $1,816,227 |
| Republican Party of Virginia | $1,297,018 |
| Dominion Leadership Trust | $794,000 |
| Moving Virginia Forward | $429,990 |
| Virginia Association of Realtors | $401,466 |
| Dominion | $311,254 |
| House Republican Campaign Cmte | $290,487 |
| Virginia Bankers Association | $283,172 |
| Virginia Automobile & Truck Dealers Association | $281,841 |
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the House of Delegates, a special election must be conducted to fill the vacant seat[11]. Within 15 days of the vacancy, the governing body of the city or county that represents the vacant seat must petition to a circuit court for a special election. All special elections must be held promptly[12]. No special election can be held with less than 60 days left in the vacant legislator's term and 55 days before statewide primary or general elections[13].
Delegates
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 32 | |
| Republican Party | 67 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2010, members of the Virginia House of Delegates are paid $17,640. Delegates receive $135/day per diem tied to the federal rate.[14]
The $17,640 that Virginia delegates are paid as of 2010 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has is also the same.[15]
When sworn in
Virginia legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. Duties of the Speaker include assigning bills to committee and appointing the membership of standing committees.[16][17]
Current leadership
2010 Leadership
Current members
Change in partisan composition of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1991-2007 |
November 3, 2009 elections
The list below includes current members of the Virgina House of Delegates. Some of them did not run for re-election, or lost their elections on November 3, 2009. Their newly-elected replacements will officially take their seats on January 13, 2010.
Newly-elected members of the House of Delegates include James Morefield (District 3), William Cleaveland (District 17), Richard Bell (District 20), Ronald Villanueva (District 21), T. Scott Garrett (District 23), Thomas Greason (District 32), Barbara Comstock (District 34), Mark Keam (District 35), Kaye Kory (District 38), Scott Surovell (District 44), Patrick Hope (District 47), Richard L. Anderson (District 51), Luke Torian (District 52), John Cox (District 55), James Edmunds, II (District 60), James LeMunyon (District 67), Betsy Carr (District 69), Christopher Stolle (District 83), Robin Abbott (District 93).
- Morefield, Cleaveland, Bell, Villanueva, Garrett, Greason, Comstock, Anderson, LeMunyon, Stolle are Republicans who beat incumbent Democrats.
- John Cox and James Edmunds, II are Republicans who won open seats held by Republicans who did not run for re-election.
- Keam, Kory, Surovell and Hope are Democrats who won election in districts previously held by a Democrat.
- Torian is a Democrat who won an open seat previously held by a Republican.
- Carr is a Democrat who won election in a district with a vacant seat.
- Abbott, a Democrat, beat an incumbent Republican.
Altogether, eight districts that were held by Democrats voted in a Republican in November.
List of members 2010-2012
Standing committees
The Virginia House of Delegates has 14 standing committees:
External links
- Official website of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Official list of the current members of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Project Vote Smart on the Virginia House of Delegates
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ "Virginia General Assembly" About House Sessions, March 13, 2009
- ↑ Visitor's Guide to the Virginia House of Delegates
- ↑ StateScape, Session schedules, accessed April 30, 2012
- ↑ Richmond Times Dispatch, "Fight to control Senate highlights start of session," January 11, 2012
- ↑ Virginia General Assembly
- ↑ Post Local, Va. assembly to vote Friday on Supreme Court, appeals judges, July 29, 2011
- ↑ 2010 session dates for Virginia legislature
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Virginia House 2007 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Virginia General Assembly "Code of Virginia"(Referenced Statute 24.2-228.1 (A), Code of Virginia)
- ↑ Virgina General Assembly "Code of Virginia"(Referenced Statute 24.2-682(C), Virginia Code)
- ↑ Virgina General Assembly "Code of Virginia"(Referenced Statute 24.2-682(A), Virginia Code)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ Virginia General Assembly general information
- ↑ 2010 Leadership of the Virginia House of Delegates
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