The Basics
In every state except for one, the state legislature is made up of two groups of elected officials – this setup is similar to the U.S. Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. One of those groups is the House of Representatives, Assembly, or House of Delegates, and it’s made up of Representatives, Assembly members, or Delegates. (The other group is called the State Senate, and members of that group are called State Senators.) Together, both groups of elected officials write, debate, and pass all your state’s laws.
Your state is divided up into State House (or Assembly, or Delegate) districts, and you only vote in the election for the district where you live.
Your state representative, along with the rest of the legislature, makes decisions on so many issues that impact your daily life. Some of their most important responsibilities are:
- Creating the state’s budget every year, which lays out how the state spends its money
- Passing laws (also called ‘bills’) on all kinds of issues
- Deciding how much money the state spends on public schools, healthcare, policing, housing, and other public services and programs
- Raising or lowering taxes
- Voting to uphold or override the governor’s vetoes
When a governor refuses to sign a bill into law, this is called a veto – if a bill is vetoed, it can only be passed and become law if it’s voted on again
In many states, the state legislature is also responsible for drawing your state’s district maps for the State Senate, State House, and Congressional districts in response to the Census every ten years – this is an incredibly important task that can impact how various communities have a voice in elections at all levels of government.
You can get in touch with your representative’s office to express your opinion on a bill that’s coming up for a vote, the state budget, or any other issue you care about. You can also ask your representative’s office for help if you’re having issues with a state agency or program (like signing up for Medicaid, food assistance, and things like that), or about an issue in your community that you think needs more attention – many representatives have staff who are focused on helping the people in their districts solve problems.
Source: the National Conference of State Legislatures. For more on redistricting, check out the Genius Guide to Redistricting, and the Library of Congress on the history of the laws and statutes governing the process
How can I make my voice heard?
If you pay attention to the news, it might seem like everything is some inside game happening in Washington, DC. But don’t let that distract you from where a lot of the real action is happening: state legislatures! Maybe your state capitol doesn’t feel quite as sexy as the setting of “House of Cards,” but what goes on there has a very direct impact on your life.
And here’s the crazy thing – even though they’re responsible for some of the things that touch your life most directly, they get much less attention than the U.S. Congress. So a lot of their work happens with very little public awareness or press coverage. When citizens decide to play an active role at the state level, they can really make an impact. Here’s what you can do:
Call me
If you’re concerned about an issue, chances are you’re not alone. Many bills are engineered by special interest groups (for better or worse), but plenty grow out of conversations between legislators and their constituents. That’s where you come in. See a problem in your community? Have a solution? Tell your legislator.
Ear to the ground
If you’re interested in a particular bill, you can usually monitor its progress on your state legislature’s website. You’ll be able to see when the bill is coming up for a hearing or a vote – or if it appears to be going nowhere. Keep tabs on the legislation you care about, then get in touch with your state legislators to find out where they stand on it. Urge them to take a position and push for action.
Testify
Speaking to a congressional committee in Washington isn’t something most people get to do, but state legislatures actually carve out time during committee meetings to hear from ordinary citizens. You can often register online to speak during the public hearing portion of the committee meeting, or submit written comments that the legislature enters into the official record. Committee meetings and hearings can be on a specific bill, or on an issue more generally. If there’s an issue you really care about, find the committee that works on it and keep an eye on their schedule (it’s on your state legislature’s website) for your chance to speak up!
Meet you in the lobby
Your mental picture of a lobbyist might be a deep-pocketed special interest trickster who bribes legislators to influence bills that help or hurt their clients. And yes, those people are out there. But citizens lobby for good things all the time, and you don’t have to be a pro to join the fun. Visit any statehouse during the legislative session and stand outside the chambers (you know, in the lobby). You’ll see ordinary citizens and countless advocacy groups milling around, trying to speak with legislators as they enter and leave. Whether it’s the AARP, Black Lives Matter, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the NRA, the Sierra Club – everyone’s there to have face-to-face conversations with the people who vote on their issues. Get in there.
Enter the fray
Your state representative and senator were elected to office, and your vote can help keep them there or kick them out. You can also get directly involved by supporting or opposing their campaign, or at least encouraging your friends, family, and neighbors to vote too. Turnout in state legislative races can be ridiculously low, which means your vote and your elbow grease can make a real difference.
What have State Representatives done?
State Representatives pass laws, but they also do a lot of advocacy and community work within their districts. Here are just a few examples of actions that have made a big impact:
- Julia Letlow
Louisiana
Secured funding for a hospital in her district to maintain a secondary supply of water, so it could continue to operate during hurricanes and other natural disasters - La’Tasha D. Mayes, Gina Curry, and Morgan Cephas
Pennsylvania
Formed the Black Maternal Health Caucus and passed 8 bills to expand healthcare coverage and reduce maternal mortality among women of color - Rozia Henson
Virginia
Passed a bill protecting marriage equality in Virginia state law. Marriage equality is legal across the country because of a Supreme Court decision, but some states still have laws against it on the books; Del. Henson’s bill ensures marriage equality will continue in Virginia if the Court’s decision is ever overturned
Case Study: the long road to abolishing the death penalty in VirginiaLink
In 2021, Virginia made history when Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill abolishing the death penalty in the state. Virginia has a long history with capital punishment – it was home to the first execution of the colonial era in the Americas in 1608, and at the time the bill was passed it was the state with the highest number of executions (around 1,300). But this history didn’t stop numerous lawmakers, organizations, and ordinary citizens from fighting to change the law.
For almost a century, attempts to narrow the scope of the death penalty or abolish it altogether have been introduced:
- In 1928, Virginia’s first female senator introduced the first bill proposing death penalty abolition
- Several attempts failed throughout the 20th century, including Virginia reinstating capital punishment in 1982 after the U.S. Supreme Court imposed a moratorium, then lifted it
- In the early 2000s, Delegate Frank Hargrove introduced several bills to ban or limit the scope of the death penalty, such as making life without parole an alternative
- From 2006-2008, Governor Tim Kaine vetoed several bills that would have expanded the death penalty during his tenure
- In 2019, a bill to ban the death penalty for people diagnosed with certain mental illnesses was introduced in the Senate, but didn’t make it through the House of Delegates
The bill that finally succeeded in 2021 states that “no person may be sentenced to death or put to death on or after its effective date for any violation of law.” Not only were future death sentences banned, but any inmates previously sentenced to death would serve life-without-parole sentences instead. Virginia’s action inspired advocates in other states, especially in the South, demonstrating that it was possible to change this policy even in states with a long and involved history of capital punishment.
Sources: Death Penalty Information Center; Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty; Virginia Legislative Information System; the Washington Post; Time
How does it work in my state?
Scroll down and click on your state to learn more about the specifics of a state representative’s powers and responsibilities where you live. (If your state isn’t here yet, check back often – we’re adding more info all the time.)
Louisiana: State RepresentativeLink
Term limits: State Representatives are limited to three four-year terms in a row. After serving three terms, representatives can run for office in the State Senate if they want, which sometimes leads to long-serving politicians moving back and forth between the two chambers
Eligibility: to run for a seat in the State House, you must be at least 18 years old, a registered voter, a resident of Louisiana for at least two years, and a resident of the district you want to represent for at least one year.
There are 105 State Representatives, representing 105 districts, and all the districts are up for election at the same time. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, a representative’s most important responsibilities are:
- Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
- Introducing any bills that have to do with taxes, fees, or raising revenue for the government
By Louisiana law, these types of bills have to begin in the State House - Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
- Voting on whether to override the governor’s vetoes
If the governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time) - Working on the annual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
The governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on governors for more details - Redistricting
After the Census, the legislature has a year to update the state’s maps. If this deadline isn’t met, the state Supreme Court takes over the process. Both chambers draw their own versions and then negotiate, and a final version is voted on and sent to the governor, just like any other bill.
Sources: the Louisiana Constitution; the Louisiana State Legislature; the Louisiana House of Representatives; Invest in Louisiana on the budget process
North Carolina: State RepresentativeLink
Term limits: none; terms are two years
Eligibility: to run for any office in North Carolina, you must be at least 21 years old and eligible to vote in the state; State Representatives must also have lived in the district they want to represent for at least one year before being elected
There are 120 State Representatives, representing 120 districts, and all the districts are up for election every two years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, a representative’s most important responsibilities are:
- Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
- Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
- Voting on whether to override the governor’s vetoes
If the governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a three-fifths majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time) - Working on the state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
The governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on governors for more details - Passing potential amendments to the state constitution
For the state constitution to be amended, both houses of the General Assembly need to pass a proposed amendment, just like a bill, then it’s put on the ballot for all the voters of the state to decide on. - Redistricting
After the Census, both houses of the General Assembly work together to draw new maps for the State Senate, the State House, and North Carolina’s U.S. Congressional districts. Maps cannot be vetoed by the governor.
Sources: the North Carolina Constitution, Article II and Article VI; the North Carolina General Assembly’s Representatives Directory, redistricting explainer, and educational resources (see ‘how an idea becomes a law’); the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management
Pennsylvania: State RepresentativeLink
Term limits: none; terms are two years
Eligibility: to run for a seat in the State House, you must be at least 21 years old, a U.S. citizen, a resident of Pennsylvania for at least four years, and a resident of the district you want to represent for at least one year (unless they were living somewhere else while doing official business for the U.S. or state government). Representatives also need to live in their districts throughout their service.
There are 203 State Representatives, representing 203 districts, and all the districts are up for election every two years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, a representative’s most important responsibilities are:
- Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
- Introducing any bills that have to do with taxes, fees, or raising revenue for the government
By Pennsylvania law, only the State House can introduce these types of bills - Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
- Voting on whether to override the governor’s vetoes
If the governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time) - Working on the annual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
The governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on governors for more details - Redistricting
After the Census, State Senate and State House leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties serve on the Legislative Reapportionment Commission, which works together to draw new maps. The Commission has three months to draw up proposed maps, and a month to make edits; during the editing period anyone who opposes the maps can appeal them to the Supreme Court, and the court can also take over the process if the Commission misses any deadlines
Sources: the Pennsylvania Constitution; the Pennsylvania Legislature
Virginia: State DelegateLink
Term limits: none; terms are two years
Eligibility: to run for Delegate, you must be at least 21 years old, an eligible voter in Virginia, and a resident of the district you want to represent. Delegates must live in their districts throughout their service.
There are 100 Delegates, representing 100 districts, and all the districts are up for election every two years. In addition to writing, debating, voting on, and passing laws, a delegate’s most important responsibilities are:
- Electing a Speaker of the House, who presides over the legislative session and official meetings
- Choosing judges
In Virginia, all judges are appointed through a majority vote of the General Assembly - Conducting impeachment investigations and voting on whether to bring impeachment charges against government officials
- Voting on whether to override the governor’s vetoes
If the governor vetoes bill or part of a bill, the only way to get it passed is for both chambers to vote for it again by a two-thirds majority (not just the simple majority required to pass it the first time) - Working on the biannual state budget, which lays out how the government spends its money
The governor is also involved in the budget process – see our page on governors for more details - Redistricting
After the Census, four delegates serve on Virginia’s Redistricting Commission, along with four senators and eight citizen members. Together the Commission draws the new maps. If the Commission fails to agree on new maps, the state Supreme Court takes over the process
Sources: the Virginia Constitution; the Virginia Senate; the Virginia Redistricting Commission