How many houses are there in the state legislature?
Two
How many legislators are in each house?
Total of 134 : 34 Senators, 100 Delegates
How long has the state government been blue or red?
It has been Republican controlled since 2014
When does the legislature sit?
Regular sessions begin on the second Wednesday in January of each year and last for 60 consecutive days. This year it will be from January 3, 2020 to March 7, 2020.
How long is a term? Are there term limits? If so, what are they?
Senators are elected to four year terms and Delegates are elected to two year terms. The terms are staggered so some elections are held during presidential election years and some are during midterms. We do not have term limits.
How many votes does it take to override the governor’s veto?
Override a veto by the governor of an ordinary bill: Majority of the members elected in both bodies.
Override a veto by the governor of an appropriations bill: A two- thirds majority of the members elected.
What areas do state representatives focus on most?
Charter schools and ways to try and break up unions (due to the teacher strike). They ‘mention’ infrastructure only after a road is no longer able to be used. They are obsessed with controlling the uterus – at the beginning of this session, they passed some ignorant bill called the ‘born alive’ bill. It will penalize physicians who don’t provide medical care to a baby born after an abortion attempt (????? Wth? ?????) To combat the opioid problem – they passed a bill to allow “faith-based” drug prevention in schools. (I can’t type that without rolling my eyes).
What are the legislators paid in each house?
$20,000 yearly
Are legislators legally obliged to disclose other interests and paid work, and/or put assets into a blind trust?
Every member of the legislator must fill out an annual financial disclosure form. Blind trusts are not mandated.
What % of the total population (voters and non-voters) elected the representatives in each house?
More than 47 percent of registered West Virginia voters participated in the 2018 election, according to unofficial results released by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office. Of the state’s 1,245,849 registered voters, 593,900 cast ballots either Tuesday or during the state’s early voting period, representing an overall turnout of 47.67 percent.
How can people register to vote in your state?
- Online.
- In person at the County Clerk’s office.
- While attending a voter registration drive.
- By submitting a mail-in registration application, or.
- At any designated state agency such as the DMV or DHHR
How can voters find the nearest polling place in your state?
Visit the WV Secretary of State website
How can voters identify and contact their state representative(s)?
Go to the WV State Legislature website – at the top you may select “House” or “Senate” and then select ‘Delegates’ and you will get an informative chart with contact information for everyone.
Tell us a fun fact!
- West Virginia’s Capitol has nine different types of marble. They include: Tennessee, Imperial Danby Vermont, Belgian Black and Gold, Italian Brown, Pink Georgian from France, and antique marbles.
- The Legislative Desks are made of Black Walnut and are the original ones from 1932.
- The chandeliers in the House and Senate Chambers each has 10,000 pieces of rock crystal.
- At 292 feet, West Virginia’s capitol dome is approximately 4 1/2 feet taller than our nation’s capital building dome in Washington, D.C.
Interested in profiling your state legislature? Contact Kelly!
