Indiana General Assembly

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The Indiana General Assembly is a "part-time" legislature, allowing voters to preserve the romantic notion that their representatives to the Statehouse act as "citizen legislators." Reality indicates that legislators fill the off-months with state commissions, constituent services, and "Interim Study Committees" that thoroughly investigate issues of the day and draft legislation for the upcoming General Assembly session.

The Indiana General Assembly operates on a two-year cycle, coinciding with the two-year state budget process. Odd-numbered years are "long sessions," with the state budget being written during this January-May session of 4-day work weeks. Even-numbered years are "short sessions," with no budget or fiscal matters coming before the legislature excepting emergency situations.

The Governor is empowered to call "special sessions" of the Indiana General Assembly to address critical and time-sensitive issues, like an unfinished budget process. Special sessions cause great consternation for the few legislators who actually attempt to hold real jobs and face hardship in leaving work for the Statehouse once again. They also are rather uncomfortable as the air conditioning in the Statehouse is woefully inadequate.

State Senate

House of Representatives

External Links

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