Editing Missouri General Assembly

{{short description|Legislative branch of the state government of Missouri}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox legislature
|name             = Missouri General Assembly
|coa_pic           = Seal of Missouri.svg
|coa_res           = 
|legislature=
|house_type        = Bicameral
|houses            = [[Missouri Senate|Senate]] <br>[[Missouri House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| members           = '''197'''<br />
* 34 senators
* 163 representatives
|term_length       = [[Missouri Senate|Senate]]: 4 years<br>[[Missouri House of Representatives|House]]: 2 years
|term_limits       = Senate: 2 terms (8 years)<br>House: 4 terms (8 years)
|salary            = $35,915/year + per diem
|leader1_type      = [[Lieutenant Governor of Missouri|Senate President]]
|leader1           = [[David Wasinger]]
|party1            = ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|election1         = January 13, 2025
|leader2_type      = Senate President pro tempore
|leader2           = [[Cindy O'Laughlin]]
|party2            = ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|election2         = January 8, 2025
|leader3_type      = [[List of speakers of the Missouri House of Representatives|House Speaker]]
|leader3           = [[Jonathan Patterson|Jon Patterson]]
|party3            = ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|election3         = January 8, 2025
|house1            = [[Missouri State Senate|Senate]]
|structure1        = Missouri_Senate.svg
|structure1_res    = 250px
| political_groups1 = {{Unbulleted list|class=nowrap
| {{Color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}} [[Missouri Republican Party|Republican]] (24)
| {{Color box|#0000FF|border=darkgray}} [[Missouri Democratic Party|Democratic]] (10)
}}
|last_election1    = [[2024 Missouri State Senate election|November 5, 2024]]
|next_election1    = [[2026 Missouri State Senate election|November 3, 2026]]
| house2           = [[Missouri House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| structure2       = Missouri House of Representatives 2023.svg
| structure2_res   = 250px 
| political_groups2 = {{Unbulleted list|class=nowrap
| {{Color box|#FF0000|border=darkgray}} [[Missouri Republican Party|Republican]] (111)
| {{Color box|#0000FF|border=darkgray}} [[Missouri Democratic Party|Democratic]] (51)
|{{Color box|#ffffFF|border=darkgray}} Vacant (1)
}}
|last_election2    = [[2024 Missouri House of Representatives election|November 5, 2024]]
|next_election2    = [[2026 Missouri House of Representatives election|November 3, 2026]]
|redistricting     = Legislative Commission
|session_room      = MissouriCapitol.jpg
|session_res       = 275px
|meeting_place     = [[Missouri State Capitol]]<br />[[Jefferson City, Missouri|Jefferson City]]
|website           = [https://www.mo.gov/government/legislative-branch Missouri General Assembly]
|constitution=[[Constitution of Missouri]]}}
The '''Missouri General Assembly''' is the [[State legislature (United States)|state legislature]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Missouri]]. The [[bicameral]] General Assembly is composed of a 34-member [[Missouri Senate|Senate]] and a 163-member [[Missouri House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]. Elections are conducted using [[first-past-the-post voting]] in [[Single-member district|single-member districts]] of roughly equal population. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to [[Term limits in the United States|term limits]]. Senators are limited to two four-year terms and representatives to four two-year terms, a total of 8 years for members of both houses. The General Assembly meets at the [[Missouri State Capitol]] in [[Jefferson City, Missouri|Jefferson City]].

Polling from [[Saint Louis University]] showed that the General Assembly enjoyed a 45% approval rating in 2024, which was considered "relatively high" compared to other government institutions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SLU/YouGov Poll Shows Missourians Give Fairly Positive Ratings to Missouri Politicians, Legislature, but Not to President, the U.S. Congress, or the U.S. Supreme Court |url=https://www.slu.edu/research/research-institute/big-ideas/slu-poll/data-archive/february-2024-poll/write-ups/slu-yougov-poll-shows-how-missourians-rate-politicians.php |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=www.slu.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==Qualifications==
Members of the House of Representatives must be 24 years of age to be elected. Representatives also must be a qualified Missouri voter for two years, and a resident of the county or district of their constituency for one year. Senators must be 30 years of age, a qualified Missouri voter for three years, and similar to House qualifications, must be a resident of their senatorial constituency for one year prior to their election.

==Sessions and quorum==
According to Article III, Section 20 of the [[Constitution of Missouri|Missouri Constitution]], the General Assembly must convene on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January following the state general election.<ref name="main">{{cite web |title=The Legislative Process In Missouri |url=https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/info/howbill.htm# |publisher=House of Representatives |access-date=23 December 2020}}</ref> It adjourns on May 30, with no consideration of bills after 6:00 p.m. on the first Friday following the second Monday in May. No appropriation bill may be considered after 6:00&nbsp;p.m. on the first Friday after the first Monday in May. If the Governor returns a bill with his objections after adjournment sine die, the General Assembly is automatically reconvened on the first Wednesday following the second Monday in September for a period not to exceed ten days to consider vetoed bills.<ref name="main" />

The Governor may convene the General Assembly in special session for a maximum of 60 calendar days at any time. Only subjects recommended by the Governor in his call or a special message may be considered. The President Pro Tem and the Speaker may convene a 30-day special session upon petition of three-fourths of the members of each chamber.

Neither the House nor Senate, without the consent of the other chamber, adjourn for more than ten days at any one time, nor to any other place than that in which the two houses may be sitting.

As a part-time legislature, compensation is low with the General Assembly, and most senators and representatives hold jobs outside their legislative duties. Lawmakers are paid about $35,915 per legislative year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Did You Know - Facts About the Missouri Senate |url=https://www.senate.mo.gov/Newsroom/Pages/DidyouknowSenators.html#:~:text=Missouri%20state%20senators%20earn%20an,Louis%20and%20Springfield. |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=www.senate.mo.gov}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Missouri State Capitol]]
*[[Missouri House of Representatives]]
*[[Missouri Senate]]
*[[List of Missouri General Assemblies]]
*[[Missouri Constitutional Convention of 1861–1863]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110721045557/http://www.moga.mo.gov/ Official General Assembly Website]
*[http://www.senate.mo.gov Missouri Senate Website]
*[http://www.house.mo.gov Missouri House of Representatives Website]
*Publications by or about [https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%28general%20assembly%29%20AND%20collection%3A%28missouristatepublications%29 Missouri General Assembly] at Internet Archive.

{{Missouri State Senators}}
{{Missouri House of Representatives}}
{{United States legislatures}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Missouri General Assembly| ]]
[[Category:Bicameral legislatures]]