Arkansas State Government

The Legislative Branch

The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the legislative branch of state government and has the authority to write and enact state laws.

The executive branch, with the Governor as chief executive, administers these laws. The judicial branch, headed by the state Supreme Court, administers justice and interprets the law in accordance with the Constitution.

There are 35 members of the state Senate and 100 members of the House. The Lieutenant Governor serves as President of the Senate. In his absence, the Senate President Pro Tempore serves in his place. The presiding officer of the House, the Speaker, is elected by House members at the beginning of each regular session.

The Arkansas Constitution calls for the General Assembly to meet in regular session for 60 days each odd-numbered year. Regular sessions may be extended by a two-thirds vote of the membership of both houses.

It is not unusual during a session for the General Assembly to address as many as 2,000 bills and resolutions, all introduced by members of the House or Senate. Much of the study and discussion of legislation takes place in committee during the interim, the period between legislative sessions.

Special sessions of the General Assembly may be called only by the Governor. During these sessions, legislators only may introduce bills relating to the subjects in the Governor's Proclamation. However, after these matters have been resolved, the General Assembly may, by a two-thirds vote of both houses, extend the special session by fifteen days and consider other business.

The General Assembly is highly structured to deal effectively with all issues. Legislative meetings are open to the public, and the General Assembly’s tour Guide Service assists thousands of visitors who tour the Capitol during sessions.