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North Carolina House of Representatives
| North Carolina House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Lower house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2012 session start: | May 16, 2012 |
| Website: | Official House Page |
| Leadership | |
| House Speaker: | Thom Tillis, (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Paul Stam, (R) |
| Minority leader: | Joe Hackney, (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 120 |
| Democratic Party (52) Republican Party (68) | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | Art II, North Carolina Constitution |
| Salary: | $13,951/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 2, 2010 (120 seats) |
| Next election: | November 6, 2012 (120 seats) |
| Redistricting: | North Carolina Legislature has control |
Contents |
Membership
The House of Representatives consists of 120 members who serve a term of two years. Each member represents an average of 79,462 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[1] After the 2000 Census, each member represented approximately 67,078 residents.[2] The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is elected by the members from their membership for a two-year term. The Speaker’s duties include maintaining order in the House and appointing members to the House standing committees. [3]
Sessions
Section 11 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution establishes that the North Carolina General Assembly, which the House is a part of, is to convene a new regular session every two years, and that the dates for these sessions are to be set by law. Sessions in the General Assembly of North Carolina last two years and begin on odd numbered years after elections. Sessions begin at noon on the third Wednesday after the second Monday in January.[4]
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the House convened on May 16.
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the House was in regular session from January 26 through mid June. [5] A special session dealing with redistricting began July 13 and ended July 28. The redistricting session covered more than just redistricting, with Republicans overriding five of Governor Perdue's vetoes. Some of the overturned vetoes include the Women's Right to Know Act and state regulatory overhaul. Democratic lawmakers achieved victory in sustaining the veto on the voter I.D. bill. [6]
A second special session has been called for September 12 to consider constitutional amendments, including a potential ban on same-sex marriage.[6]
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the House was in session from May 12 to July 11. [7]
Elections
2012
Elections for the office of North Carolina House of Representatives will be held in North Carolina on November 6, 2012. All 120 seats will be up for election.
The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was February 29, 2012. The primary election day was May 8, 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of North Carolina's House of Representatives were held in North Carolina on November 2, 2010.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was February 26, 2010. The primary election day was May 4, 2010. The second primary election was held on June 22, 2010.
In 2010, the candidates for state house raised a total of $17,390,203 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [8]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| North Carolina Democratic Party | $1,578,709 |
| North Carolina Republican Party | $801,494 |
| North Carolina Democratic House Cmte | $595,163 |
| North Carolina Democratic Party House Caucus | $329,134 |
| North Carolina Medical Society | $179,000 |
| North Carolina Association of Realtors | $173,000 |
| North Carolina Advocates for Justice | $168,500 |
| Progress Energy | $167,000 |
| North Carolina Hospital Association | $153,750 |
| Bank of America | $152,100 |
Qualifications
Article 2, Section 7 of the North Carolina Constitution states: Each Representative, at the time of his election, shall be a qualified voter of the State, and shall have resided in the district for which he is chosen for one year immediately preceding his election.
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the House, the Governor is responsible for appointing a replacement[9] [10].
When making an appointment, the Governor must make the decision off a list of recommended candidates submitted by the political party committee that last held the vacant seat[11]. The appointment must be made within seven days of receiving a list of recommended candidates[10]. The person selected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term[10].
Representatives
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state houses
| Party | As of May 2012 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 52 | |
| Republican Party | 68 | |
| Total | 120 | |
District Map
- North Carolina General Assembly provides a link to a district map covering all 120 districts.
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2010, members of the North Carolina House of Representatives are paid $13,951/year. Per diem is $104/day set by statute. Legislators are allowed up to $559/month for expenses.[12]
The $13,951/year that North Carolina representatives are paid as of 2010 is the same as they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem is also the same.[13]
When sworn in
North Carolina legislators assume office the first day of the new General Assembly in January.
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body and is elected from among its membership.[14][15]
Current leadership
2010 Leadership
Current members
2010 members
Standing committees
The North Carolina house has 19 standing committees, and an additional 12 standing subcommittees:
- Agriculture Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Appropriations Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
- Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government
- Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
- Appropriations Subcommittee on Justice and Public Safety
- Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural and Economic Resources
- Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation
- Banking Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Commerce and Job Development Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Education Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Elections Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Environment Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Ethics Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Finance Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Government Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Health and Human Services Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Insurance Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Judiciary Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Public Utilities Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Redistricting Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- State Personnel Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
- Transportation Committee, North Carolina House of Representatives
External links
- Official website of the North Carolina House of Representatives
- Official list of the current members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
- Project Vote Smart on the North Carolina House of Representatives.
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ "North Carolina General Assembly" Introduction General Assembly, February 26, 2009
- ↑ N.C. Gen. Stat. 120-11.1
- ↑ 2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar, NCSL
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Newsobserver.com, NC lawmakers leave town after new maps, overrides, July 28, 2011
- ↑ 2010 session dates for North Carolina legislature
- ↑ Follow the Money: "North Carolina House 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly "North Carolina Constitution"(Referenced Section, Article II, Section 10)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 North Carolina General Assembly "North Carolina General Statutes(Referenced Statute 163-11(a), NC General Statutes)
- ↑ North Carolina General Assembly "North Carolina General Statutes(Referenced Statute 163-11(b-d), NC General Statutes)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislator Compensation Data"
- ↑ Empire Center, "Legislative Salaries Per State as of 2007"
- ↑ 2009 North Carolina House of Representative Rules
- ↑ North Carolina House Leadership
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